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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich buys INSANE new $600m yacht… having already owned one worth $1.5bn

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has reportedly splashed out $600M on a new yacht… and it’s absolutely unreal.

Abramovich is a pretty wealthy man, as you’d expect with him being in charge of Chelsea Football Club.

It was the Russian’s big-spending back in the 2000s which propelled Chelsea to elite status in Europe and he’s showing no signs of slowing down almost 20 years since he bought the club.

Abramovich is not only spending his money on players such as Kai Havertz or Romelu Lukaku, though. He’s also enjoying a fair share of it for himself – as he should!

Chelsea FC billionaire owner Roman Abramovich’s new $600 million superyacht “Solaris” is INSANE pic.twitter.com/pgd6KHNeeR — Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) August 16, 2021

Chelsea F.C. billionaire owner Roman Abramovich has a new 455-foot-long Superyacht called “Solaris.” • 8 decks • Helipad • Sleeps 36 The craziest part? Already owning a $1.5 billion, 533-ft-long Superyacht named “Eclipse,” it’s not even Abramovich’s biggest yacht. pic.twitter.com/IPrmrbdyk1 — Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) June 23, 2021

MORE: Romelu Lukaku reveals he told Champions League winner ‘to go to Chelsea’

Abramovich is clearly obsessed with the idea of owning a fleet of super-yachts, because why else would you fork $600M out on one when you already have another.

Is he planning to dock one in the UK and one in Australia for ease of access wherever he may be?

It may seem insane and will probably leave people with a sour taste in their mouth, but if you had that much money at your fingertips, wouldn’t you do it too?

This article first appeared on  BenchWarmers  and was syndicated with permission.

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Roman Abramovich's superyacht Solaris heads for Turkey as oligarch Chelsea owner gets assets out of Europe

One of Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's superyachts, Solaris, is heading for Turkey, while a second, Eclipse, is off the coast off Algeria. Another Russian oligarch, Andrey Melnichenko, recently had a £444m superyacht seized by Italian authorities as part of EU sanctions.

By Jason Farell, Sky News correspondent, in Istanbul

Thursday 17 March 2022 10:44, UK

Roman Abramovich appears to be on a mission to get his assets out of Europe as sanctions tighten.

His superyacht Solaris, worth £430m, is heading south, apparently towards Turkey , after docking in Montenegro on Sunday. Previously, it had been at a repair yard in Barcelona - and had it remained there it might well have been seized by now.

Abramovich has been named on the fourth package of European Union sanctions that will see assets frozen for those Russian super rich considered to be linked to President Vladimir Putin.

Follow live updates on Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Due to sanctions passed last week, any cash or property the Chelsea FC owner holds in the UK are now frozen. His shares on the London stock exchange cannot be sold and won't pay dividends, and he can no longer benefit from the planned £3bn sale of the club. He is also banned from entering the UK.

Abramovich's journey back to Russia

Abramovich's second superyacht, Eclipse, is off the coast of Algeria. Its closest European port is Italy - where another oligarch, Andrey Melnichenko, recently had a £444m superyacht seized by authorities as part of EU sanctions.

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On Sunday night, Abramovich made a whistle-stop trip to Israel, where he is a citizen. Israel currently has no sanctions on Russian oligarchs, and the billionaire owns property in the country.

He was photographed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport on Monday afternoon before flying for a brief stop in Istanbul; Turkey is another possible safe destination for Russian money. From Istanbul his private Gulfstream G650ER jet - registration LX-Ray - flew to Moscow in the early hours of Tuesday morning .

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Turkish businessman Muhsin Bayrak claims to have met Abramovich, last week, to discuss buying Chelsea. A spokesperson for Mr Bayrak says another meeting was planned later this week.

Despite the British government freezing £3.2bn of his UK assets, including the west London club, it is thought Abramovich could still play a role in the sale, but only on the basis that he does not personally profit from it.

It is not clear whether Mr Bayrak, who made his money in energy, real estate, and cryptocurrency, has the funds to make the purchase.

What is happening with the Chelsea sale?

The British government is open to a sale and wishes to minimalise impact on the club and its fans, but Chelsea is required to approach the government with a proposal before a new licence is granted. Its primary condition is that Abramovich does not financially benefit from any sale.

Read more: How sanctions on Abramovich will affect Chelsea fans

Abramovich put Chelsea up for sale on 2 March, pledging to write off £1.5bn of debt and to divert all proceeds to a new foundation to benefit victims of the war in Ukraine .

The government sanctioned him, claiming to have proved his direct links to Mr Putin's regime. Abramovich has always denied any association.

On Tuesday, a further 370 new sanctions were announced by the UK government - bringing the total to more than 1,000 individuals, entities and subsidiaries now under the Russia sanctions regime since the invasion of Ukraine.

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Nigel Huddleston, the minister for sport, told a committee of MPs: "We are working with Chelsea and the fans that the measures we have put in place primarily impact Roman Abramovich and make sure he does not benefit, whilst making sure that where possible we can reduce the impact on the fans and make sure Chelsea can still continue.

"Can the government allow an entity to fail? Yes, it can, whether it's sport or football or anything else, but what we want to do is make sure the impact of sanctions hits those we want."

Looking to the future, he told the digital, culture, media and sport select committee: "We do recognise there is a need for further refinement and more robust owners' and directors' tests and the integrity element of that is something that is being pushed."

In other developments:

• More than 100,000 Britons register interest to house Ukrainian refugees • UK announces sanctions against 350 more Russian nationals and entities • UK bans luxury goods exports to Russia and hikes import tariffs on products - including vodka • Briton who travelled to warzone to join military fight against Russia leaves over 'suicide mission' fears • Employee interrupts Russian news programme with anti-war slogan

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Where are Roman Abramovich's yachts as Chelsea owner has assets frozen by UK government

Chelsea news: The Russian billionaire has owned a number of yachts in recent years with the movements of them all known using tracking data

• 11:23, 10 MAR 2022

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Roman Abramovich has owned a number of super yachts during his time as Chelsea owner.

And it is always interesting to note where in the world they are located during the year.

That is even more pertinent now, given the Russian oligarch has been sanctioned by the UK government for reported close ties with Vladimir Putin, which Abramovich vehemently denies, and had his assets frozen.

That would appear to rule out the sale of the football cub , which Abramovich confirmed was his intention last week, although the Blues could still be sold if the UK government take the lead in selling it .

So where in the world are the two super-yachts that we know are linked to Abramovich now?

The £448million Eclipse yacht, that Abramovich bought in 2010 has been cruising in the Caribbean Sea near the British Virgin Islands for the past week.

However, Abramovich's £456million newer yacht Solaris has recently been moved.

According to Reuters , the super-yacht had been in Barcelona undergoing repairs, but was moved on Tuesday evening, with Marine Traffic saying it is now cruising in the Mediterranean near Sicily.

A spokeswoman for Abramovich told Reuters: "We never comment on the movements of the yacht or any other vehicles or vessels."

Abramovich had all of his assets frozen by the UK government on Thursday, with the club banned from selling tickets to home or away fans.

Stamford Bridge will only host season ticket holders moving forward, but the club shop also closed and any contract talks or transfers placed on hold.

For all the latest Abramovich news as it happens, check out our live blog right here .

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Roman Abramovich: First images of Chelsea owner's £430 million yacht emerge

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Roman Abramovich isn't exactly short of money.

Besides, this is the man who commands one of the world's biggest football clubs and ploughs tens of millions into their coffers each season to keep them competing for the Premier League title.

But when the Russian billionaire isn't keeping the Chelsea war chest topped up, you can rest assured that he's enjoying the perks of being, well, a Russian billionaire.

Abramovich's riches

However, of all the perks that come with having money coming out of your ears - as a sports journalist, I would know, obviously - owning a yacht seems to be pretty high on the list for Abramovich.

Now, we don't pretend to be experts in the world of yachting, but I think most football fans around the world are aware that Abramovich has one of the most formidable armadas on the high seas.

And it seems as though Abramovich isn't satisfied with his current fleet of yachts because he's adding a new luxury vessel to his collection that will set him back a cool £430 million.

New yacht 'Solaris'

According to The Sun , Abramovich's new yacht, named Solaris, is nearing completion and has been photographed for the very first time.

The vessel's two advanced electric engines are set to make it the most powerful yacht in the world and it boasts no less than eight decks which, naturally, includes a helicopter pad.

It can reach a top speed of 18 knots, has a gross tonnage of 11,000 and is 140 metres in length.

Photo credit: Carl Groll/TheYachtPhoto.com

But Solaris is about more than just power and landing sites, boasting an astonishing 48 cabins that can accommodate 36 passengers as well as a pool, outdoor beach club, jacuzzi and spa.

The luxury vehicle, which is said to be approaching its first sea trials, will be manned by 60 crew members and could be ready for Abramovich in the summer.

A source told The Sun: "This will be the yacht of the year when she is launched later this year. Details are being kept top secret but she will be a magnificent addition for the owner.

"To give you an idea of the size of Solaris the yacht shed she is being built in is bigger and taller than Buckingham Palace so you have some idea of the dimensions.''

Wowsers. Pretty swish then. Has anyone got one available for, say, £30? Anyone? Anyone???

Sanctioned Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich tried to offload his vast assets amid clampdowns on the country's oligarchs. Take a look at his luxury empire, including the 3rd-largest yacht in the world.

• Billionaire Roman Abramovich was once the richest known man in Russia.
• He was one of seven Russian oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government on March 10.
• Before being sanctioned, Abramovich scrambled to sell his assets, including his $3 billion soccer club Chelsea FC.

Roman Abramovich was once the richest known man in Russia. Bloomberg pegs his net worth at $13.5 billion, a $4.1 billion slump since the beginning of the year.

His net worth peaked in 2008 at $23.5 billion.

Ambramovich, 55, is known for his collection of superyachts, luxury cars, private planes, and homes around the world. The Wall Street Journal once nicknamed his global collection of extravagant possessions " The Roman Empire. "

The billionaire is the  largest shareholder of Evraz , one of the world's top producers of steel . He also owns stakes in the world's largest producer of refined nickel, according to Bloomberg.

Most of Abramovich's vast fortune comes from proceeds from selling Russian state-owned assets after the fall of the Soviet Union. He owned stakes in industries like airlines, oil, and aluminum .

In 2003, he sold a 26% stake of Russian airline company Aeroflot to the National Reserve Bank. In 2005, he sold his 70% stake in Russian oil company Sibneft for almost $10 billion. He also offloaded his aluminum assets for more than $2 billion.

Abramovich did not respond to Insider's request for comment for this story.

Katie Warren contributed to an earlier version of this article.

From 2003 to 2008, Abramovich was the governor of Chukotka, a remote Arctic province.

During his tenure, he spent $1.3 billion of his own money on the region.

Sibneft, the oil company of which he owned nearly 70%, was registered in the region until Abramovich sold his shares to the state-run energy company in 2015.

Abramovich has been married three times and has seven children.

His most recent marriage was to Dasha Zhukova, with whom he has two children . The couple cofounded the Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow and the New Holland Island cultural center in Saint Petersburg. In 2017, the couple announced they would be separating after 10 years together.

Abramovich was previously married to Irina Malandina for 16 years. They have four daughters and one son. At the time of their 2007 split, he was worth $18.7 billion. Although Russian courts usually award a wife half of the wealth built up during a marriage, Malandina settled for $300 million  — 1.6% of Abramovich's fortune.

Little is known about Abramovich's first marriage to Olga Yurevna Lysova, except that it lasted for three years, from 1987 to 1990.

Now, with the West's sanctions on Russia's oligarchs, Abramovich has reportedly been scrambling to sell his assets.

In the aftermath of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny's organization named Abramovich one of 35 Russian individuals who should be considered for sanctions, The Guardian reported.  

Abramovich bought London-based Chelsea FC in 2003 from long-time chairman Ken Bates for $233 million. Abramovich is "a keen follower of sport and international football," a statement said at the time.

In a statement in March, Abramovich announced that he would be selling the club. "This has never been about business nor money for me, but pure passion for the game and Club," Abramovich said.

He also said all the net proceeds from the sale would go to those affected by the war in Ukraine. Bloomberg reported that he is seeking a bid of 3 billion pounds ($4 billion).

Abramovich is understood to have turned down a £2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) offer in late February or early March, per SkyNews.

Abramovich was among seven Russian oligarchs who were sanctioned by the UK on March 10.

Despite the billionaire rushing to offload some of his assets — including Chelsea Football Club — the sanctions now bar him from making deals to sell the club, banning all transactions between Abramovich and UK citizens and businesses . 

Chelsea FC is the seventh-most valuable soccer club in the world, per Forbes.

It was worth about $3.2 billion in 2021, per Forbes . While the club has amassed millions of fans around the world, not all are happy with its stance on Ukraine.

Chelsea FC posted a controversial statement in February, where it failed to mention Russia or Abramovich's ownership.

"The situation in Ukraine is horrific and devastating. Chelsea FC's thoughts are with everyone in Ukraine. Everyone at the club is praying for peace," the club said in a statement on its website at the time.

However, Chelsea's financial future is now in doubt because of sanctions against Abramovich. Sanctions on him mean that the club's finances are frozen , and that Chelsea can now only spend around $26,000 per game on travel.

In 2018, Abramovich was granted Israeli citizenship and flew to Tel Aviv after facing delays in renewing his UK visa.

Upon moving to Tel Aviv, Abramovich became the richest man living in Israel. In 2020, local media reported that the billionaire had dropped $57 million on a seafront hotel in Tel Aviv.

In the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, several high-profile Israelis — including the chairman of the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum and a chief rabbi — urged the US not to impose sanctions on Abramovich, according to The Times of Israel.

The representatives wrote a letter to the US ambassador in February commending Abramovich's investments, philanthropy, and contributions to Israel, the outlet reported. 

The museum's chairman told the Washington Post that Abramovich was the museum's second-largest private donor.

Reports indicate Abramovich is also rushing to offload his London real estate holdings.

The billionaire has homes all over the world, including a $118.4 million home in Kensington Palace Gardens in London, an area nicknamed "Billionaires' Row," according to The Guardian .

"He's terrified of being sanctioned, which is why he's already going to sell his home tomorrow and sell another flat as well," Labour MP Chris Bryant told the UK Parliament in March, per Bloomberg .

Abramovich is also among the billionaires who own homes at Eaton Square — an exclusive garden estate in London that is nicknamed "Red Square" because of the number of Russian billionaires who own properties there. 

Abramovich has spent tens of millions of dollars on prime New York City real estate.

Abramovich paid $96 million for four townhouses on New York City's Upper East Side with plans to turn them into one megamansion. He also bought another property two blocks away.

In September 2018, Abramovich transferred four of the five properties, all in a row on East 75th Street, to his third ex-wife, Zhukova, for about $92 million as part of their divorce proceedings, the New York Post reported, citing city property records.

Abramovich reportedly owns a home in Antibes on the French Riviera.

Abramovich bought the Chateau de la Croe , a mansion that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea, in 2001, per Bloomberg.

In 2018, A French court found that Abramovich had undervalued the holiday home and had not paid enough wealth tax in 2006 and 2007.

In 2009, Abramovich dropped $90 million on an estate on the Caribbean island of St. Bart's, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person close to the deal.

The 70-acre estate is replete with Balinese bungalows with ocean views, tennis courts, swimming pools, and music pavilions, per the Journal's 2009 report .

Homes aren't the only things Abramovich likes to collect: The billionaire has reportedly spent hundreds of millions of dollars on yachts on his lifetime.

Abramovich bought the superyacht Pelorus in 2004. At the time, it was the 11th-largest yacht in the world, per Yacht Harbour .

But Abramovich's second ex-wife, Malandina, got the yacht in their divorce settlement .

Before sanctions were imposed on Abramovich on March 10, a 460-foot superyacht Solaris that was linked to Abramovich   departed a Barcelona shipyard after being docked there for repairs since 2021. The $600 million vessel left Spain on March 8, and was tracked moving eastward after leaving the shipyard.

Solaris was spotted on March 12 , anchored in Montenegro. 

Abramovich later spent nearly $500 million on a superyacht called Eclipse.

At 533 feet long, Eclipse was once the world's largest yacht, though it's since been overtaken by the 590-foot Azzam , which launched in 2013, and later too by REV Ocean , a sleek, 600-foot yacht that launched in 2019.

Among Eclipse's amenities are two helicopter pads, cabins to host 36 guests and space for 70 crew, a 52-foot swimming pool — and a missile detection system.

The yacht was in a Barcelona shipyard last year for renovations, The Guardian reported in February.

However, the superyacht this week appeared to be headed in the direction of the Solaris yacht . According to data from MarineTraffic , the two superyachts could eventually meet in the Ionian sea if the Eclipse were to keep its course sailing east across the Mediterranean Sea. 

Abramovich has reportedly owned at least three other yachts in his lifetime, including Le Grand Bleu .

His car collection is nothing to scoff at either.

Abramovich reportedly has dropped more than $11 million on luxury vehicles , including the above limited edition Ferrari FXX. Only 29 were made.

Abramovich also bought a Pagani Zonda Roadster, one of only 15 ever to be made, according to The Telegraph. He has also reportedly bought  a Bugatti Veyron, a Mercedes AMG GT3, and an Aston Martin Vulcan.

Abramovich has a number of airplanes in his personal fleet, including a Boeing 767-33AER.

The customized interior of the aircraft includes a banquet hall that seats 30 people, a kitchen, an office, and a bedroom.

Abramovich previously owned a Dassault Falcon 900, which his ex-wife  Irina Malandina got in their 2007 divorce settlement, per Boss Hunting.

Meanwhile, a $65 million Gulfstream private jet linked to Abramovich was seen flying from Israel to Istanbul on March 14. Abramovich himself was spotted at a VIP lounge in Israel  before the Gulfstream jet made its journey to Turkey. 

Abramovich's personal art collection comprises works by Pablo Picasso, Lucian Freud, and Francis Bacon.

In 2008, he spent $34 million on a piece entitled "Benefits Supervisor Sleeping" by Freud.

The very next night at Sotheby's, Abramovich paid $86.3 million for Francis Bacon's "Triptych, 1976," according to The Wall Street Journal .

But Abramovich's art collection could soon be under scrutiny. Several countries are looking to freeze Russian billionaires' foreign-owned assets, which could include some of the most valuable pieces in the world, reported The Art Newspaper.

• Main content

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's £1.2billion super yacht has tons of incredible features

Roman Abramovich is one of the richest people on the planet and he has a boat that flaunts his extravagant wealth

• 07:30, 8 Sep 2019

Let's be honest, most of us have dreamed of winning the lottery.

But even if you won the record Euromillions jackpot of £189million, you would still not have enough money to buy a yacht like Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's.

In fact, winning the record Euromillions jackpot five times over would still not give you enough cash for the Eclipse.

Originally contracted at a price of around £500million, the Eclipse has is now known as 'the $1.5billion yacht'... a hefty price tag, for sure.

The boat is arguably the most exclusive and extravagant piece of kit currently on water.

Abramovich sails around the world to a host of plush locations on his yacht, but is believed to rarely leave the boat himself.

And who could blame him, with all the amenities he has available for him.

Designed by French architect Hermidas Atabeyki, it was built by Blohm and Voss in 2010, with the interior kitted out by Terence Disdale.

It was the world's largest private yacht for around three years (until the Azzam was built in 2013).

The Eclipse is 162 metres in length, weighs 13,564 tons and has an average speed of 29mph.

It has room for 70 crew members - and there is even more crew accommodation available than there are guest rooms.

Of the 53 cabins, only 18 are for guests, with the other 35 for catering staff. The staff also get their own private cinema room.

Those staying on the boat can have guest suites with balconies.

The yacht boasts two helicopter pads, but there is space for a third in a storage hanger in the back if need be.

It even has a mini submarine which holds three people, plus three launch boats.

There are two separate swimming pools on board and multiple hot tubs, allowing a level of privacy for guests who could be travelling with Abramovich.

One of the pools is the largest swimming pool to be placed on any private yacht in the world.

But that pool perhaps gets even more interesting, given that it can drain out, allowing the base to rise... and turn into a dance floor.

And if one dance floor was not enough, there is also another separate disco hall.

There are also a host of detection devices to ensure the security and privacy of those using the yacht.

It has previously been reported that Abramovich's yacht has anti-paparazzi lasers, which can detect the electronic light sensors that cameras use

It means the camera is then targeted with a beam of bright light that overexposes the photo, rendering them useless.

However, given that pictures of Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry on the boat have been published previously, those claims are especially unlikely.

The Eclipse also has a missile-detection system.

So, if you ever wondered what winning the Euromillions might get you... it's not this. Even this would be out of your league.

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Ukraine invasion — explained

The roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep. The current conflict is more than one country fighting to take over another; it is — in the words of one U.S. official — a shift in "the world order." Here are some helpful stories to make sense of it all.

Ukrainian sailors tried to block a Russian oligarch's yacht from docking in Turkey

Rachel Treisman

A yacht reportedly belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is docked at an Aegean coastal resort in Bodrum, Turkey, on Monday. A group of young Ukrainian sailors had protested its arrival from a small boat. -/Ihlas News Agency/AFP via Getty hide caption

A yacht reportedly belonging to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich is docked at an Aegean coastal resort in Bodrum, Turkey, on Monday. A group of young Ukrainian sailors had protested its arrival from a small boat.

Two superyachts linked to Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich have reportedly docked in the sanction-free waters of Turkey in recent days, though not without protest.

The Solaris yacht left Montenegro last week and traveled southeast to Turkey, avoiding European waters and arriving at the port city of Bodrum on Monday, Reuters reported , citing shipping data.

Why so many Russian billionaires are called oligarchs

There, the 460-foot yacht was met by a small group of young Ukrainian sailors who tried to block it from reaching the dock. Video footage from the BBC, CNN, SkyNews and others shows people on a small boat, waving Ukrainian flags and chanting "no war in Ukraine."

Güldenay Sonumut, a producer for Sky News, tweeted footage of several people sitting in a boat bobbing in the water, chanting "Go away!" at the massive yacht in front of them.

A tiny team but they made quite some waves. Say hi to the Ukraine National Sailing Youth Team who were not afraid to get on their boat and protest Russian Oligarch Roman Abramovich's mega-yacht entering #Bodrum Marina in Turkey. #UkraineRussiaWar #UkraineSailingTeam pic.twitter.com/rvQMolAwuC — Güldenay Sonumut (@Guldenay007) March 22, 2022

They have been identified as students of the Odesa Children and Youth Sailing School, also known as the Optimist Sailing Club. The BBC says the team had left Ukraine before Russia invaded last month to compete in an annual competition in Turkey.

Coach Paulo Dontsov told CNN that it was the full team's decision to protest, telling the BBC that their aim was to make supporters of the war uncomfortable. He said the Turkish coast guard eventually arrived and asked the dinghy to move slightly farther away.

A Russian oligarch's superyacht is stuck in Norway because no one will sell it fuel

"We talked with them and they were polite," he added. "They said that they realized why we're doing this, but we should do it with keeping the rules of their country."

Sky News reports that the protesters were temporarily detained after the incident and that Abramovich is not believed to have been on board the yacht at the time.

Sanctions on Russia may limit the number of Russian tourists visiting Turkey

The Solaris is currently docked in Bodrum, according to the tracker Marine Traffic . And a second superyacht linked to Abramovich also arrived in Turkey this week.

Citing Turkish media, ABC News reports that a yacht named Eclipse docked at a port in the resort town of Marmaris on Tuesday. Unnamed sources told Reuters that Abramovich and other wealthy Russians are looking to invest in Turkey amid mounting sanctions from Western countries.

Turkey has criticized Russia's invasion of Ukraine but has said it won't introduce sanctions because it sees them as counterproductive.

This story originally appeared on the Morning Edition live blog .

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What more does it need? Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's £1.5billion mega-yacht which is twice the length of a football pitch is renovated in Germany

• Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich's £1.5billion mega-yacht currently undergoing renovations in Germany
• Pictured in dry dock in Hamburg, the Russian oligarch's 557ft-boat is the second-largest yacht in the world
• It features a mini-submarine, two swimming pools, 30 cabins, two helicopter pads and a missile defence system

By Corey Charlton for MailOnline

Published: 07:40 EDT, 17 February 2015 | Updated: 14:28 EDT, 17 February 2015

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The 557ft luxury yacht owned by Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich has been docked in Germany in order to undergo renovations.

Pictured at Hamburg's Blohm Voss shipbuilders where it was originally built in 2010 and 2011, the ship has been placed into a dry dock where workers have been carrying out work on various levels of the ship.

The Russian oligarch's lavish boat - named Eclipse - boasts a stunning array of high-tech gadgetry alongside the opulence which is commonly seen in billionaires' superyachts. All of this begs the question - what exactly needs renovating?

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Roman Abramovich's £1.5billion superyacht Eclipse is pictured in dry dock in Germany where it is undergoing renovations

The mega-yacht is undergoing repairs at the German shipyard where it was built by Blohm Voss at a cost that was close to £1.5billion

For a time, Eclipse (pictured) held the title of the world's largest superyacht, but it has since been surpassed by the 590ft Azzam

For a time, the boat held the title of the world's largest superyacht, but has since been surpassed by the 590ft Azzam, which is believed to be owned by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates.

However, both are so large they have trouble fitting into the majority of the world's marinas.

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Mr Abramovich's Eclipse is 536ft long and 72.2ft wide, and has an estimated gross tonnage of 13,500GT.

She has four diesel engines and a maximum speed of 22 knots, although this speed is well surpassed by some of the newer superyacht builds.

It can accommodate 36 guests in comfort, and boasts a cinema, conference facilities, children's playroom, beauty salon, dance floor, swimming pool and sauna.

Built by Blohm Voss Shipyards and designed inside and out by Terence Disdale, Eclipse was custom-made for the Chelsea oligarch in 2010.

The incredible vessel also contains two swimming pools, two helicopter pads, a dedicated disco hall, around 30 cabins, a mini-submarine, and even a missile defence system.

Luxury lifestyle: Mr Abramovich is pictured relaxing on the yacht with several friends in this file photograph

Exactly what part of the yacht is being renovated is unclear, but is it is already equipped with a submarine, two swimming pools, and more than 30 bedrooms

A small ferry motors past the massive yacht in dry dock, which was the largest yacht in the world until it was surpassed two years ago

Built by Blohm Voss Shipyards and designed inside and out by Terence Disdale, Eclipse was custom-made for Mr Abramovich in 2010

It has armour-plating around Mr Abramovich’s master suite, bullet-proof windows and a laser system designed to dazzle long-lens photographers.

When it was ordered, the initial cost was estimated at around $500million, but by the time Mr Abramovich took delivery in 2012 it was spiralling towards the $1.5billion mark because of the extra luxury fittings and security measures.

The oligarch also owns three other mega-yachts, the Pelorus (377ft), the Ecstasea (282ft) and the Sussurro (161ft).

Mr Abramovich once lent the Pelorus to Chelsea footballers Frank Lampard and John Terry as a 'bonus' for playing well and annual running costs for his fleet are around $25million including full tanks of petrol at around $110,000 per yacht.

Close up: Mr Abramovich's Eclipse is 536ft long and 72.2ft wide, and has an estimated gross tonnage of 13,500GT

In dock: It can accommodate 36 guests in comfort, and boasts a cinema, conference facilities, children's playroom and beauty salon

Alongside Eclipse (pictured), Mr Abramovich owns three other mega-yachts, the Pelorus (377ft), the Ecstasea (282ft) and the Sussurro (161ft)

The incredible vessel also contains two helicopter pads, a dedicated disco hall, around 30 cabins, and even a missile defence system

Share or comment on this article: Chelsea's Roman Abramovich's £1.5bn mega-yacht renovated in Germany

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Italian Police Seize Russian Oligarch Andrey Melnichenko’s 468-Foot ‘Sailing Yacht A’

The list keeps growing with the impoundment of "sailing yacht a" and suspicion that "scheherazade" might be connected to vladimir putin., michael verdon, michael verdon's most recent stories.

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Italy’s finance police seized one of the world’s most iconic sailing yachts, owned by a Russian oligarch. Andrey Melnichenko’s Sailing Yacht A , with an estimated value of $578 million, was impounded in dry dock at the Port of Trieste, according to a statement from the Guardia di Finanzia. Melninchenko was sanctioned by the European Union on March 9 as part of a group of Russian oligarchs who met with Russian President Vladimir Putin following its Ukraine invasion to discuss the potential economic impact of EU and American sanctions.

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Melnichenko owns the major fertilizer producer EuroChem Group and SUEK, a coal company. He also owns the 390-foot Motor Yacht A. A spokesperson said in a statement that Melnichenko has nothing to do with politics and that he has removed himself from the board of Eurochem and SUEK after the EU sanctioned him. “He has no relation to the tragic events in Ukraine. He has no political affiliations,” said the statement.

US intelligence officials have also said they are trying to link the Scheherazade , a $700 million superyacht in dry dock in Italy, to Putin. The New York Times reported that the US government has made no definite conclusions about the yacht’s ownership, but believe it could be owned by the Russian president. The yacht’s captain, Guy Bennett-Pearce, told the Times that Putin had no stake in the yacht, but declined to name the owner. Bennett-Pearce said he would provide Italian police with documents that divulged the owner’s name. The Italian Sea Group, which owns the shipyard where Scheherazade is dry docked, said that, based on “checks carried out by relevant authorities,” the yacht is “not attributable to the property of Russian President Vladimir Putin.”

Roman Abramovich, who owns Solaris. last week was placed on the UK sanctions list.  Courtesy of Lloyd Werft

Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich was also added to the UK sanctions list days after he announced the sale of the football club. Abramovich, who owns a string of supercars and several private jets, also owns the superyachts Solaris and Eclipse. Solaris is reportedly sailing towards Israel, where Abramovich has dual citizenship.

On March 3, France’s finance ministry said that it had impounded Amore Vero , a yacht owned by Igor Sechin, CEO of Russian oil giant Rosneft. The EU had sanctioned Sechin earlier that week, calling him one of Putin’s “most trusted and closest advisors, as well as his personal friend.” German authorities also detained the 512-foot superyacht Dilbar in Hamburg, owned by Alisher Usmanov. Reports said the crew was fired last week. On March 5, Italian authorities impounded two yachts, Lena and Lady M , owned by Gennady Timchenko and Alexei Mordashov, respectively.

On Friday, the US State Department placed Viktor Vekselberg on its sanctions list. Two of Vekeselberg’s luxury assets, an Airbus A319-115 jet and his yacht Tango , were identified as “blocked property.”

The superyacht Scheherazade was impounded in Italy during an investigation to uncover whether it is owned by Russian President Vladimir Putin.  Video Still/YT

The seizures have prompted the superyacht industry to distance itself from the oligarchs. Italian yacht builders Sanlorenzo and Azimut both released statements that they have limited exposure to Russian clients, and none are on the sanctions list. Heesen Yachts released a statement that two Russians sitting on its supervisory board of directors have resigned their positions. The builder said Heesen is 100-percent Dutch-owned company and that Pavel Sukhoruchkin and Pavel Novoselov had nothing to do with its day-to-day operations.

Ownership of many Russian yachts is often hidden by shell companies in tax havens like the Cayman Islands. They are not only hard to trace, but actually seizing and selling them could present a legal quagmire that could take years to resolve.

Some are wondering whether seizing the oligarchs’ private yachts and jets will work. “Sanctions are another example of the West doing what it does best, which is just throwing a lot of cash at the problem and hoping it gets solved,” Olga Chyzh, a professor of political science at the University of Toronto, told the Washington Post. “However sad they are to let go of their Western assets, oligarchs have even more to lose if Putin is no longer there to protect them.”

Eclipse is another yacht owned by Roman Abramovich.  Robb Report File

In the meantime, some oligarchs are taking their yachts to destinations like the Maldives , the Seychelles and Dubai, which have no extradition treaties with the US and EU. Dubai has become a favorite destination for Russian tourism and wealth.

Alex Finley, a former CIA officer, has been tracking the yachts from Barcelona. Using the hashtag “Yacht Watch,” she posts updates on Twitter for Russian-owned superyachts.

“For me, the yachts are a big, easily recognizable symbol of the more serious side of this [Russian invasion]: These are people who support a dictator, and have been supporting him in carrying out destabilization operations against democracy, while at the same time coming here and taking all the benefits of the exact same democracies they were destabilizing,” Finley told the Washington Post.

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