“My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that kill the Ukrainian people,” he told a judge at his arraignment hearing, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. He added that he had no regrets about what he had done.
Chief engineer Ostapchuk Taras, 55, told authorities that he is a Ukrainian national and had worked aboard the luxury yacht for ten years. Last Saturday he decided to take action against owner’s property in retaliation for the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. He opened a valve to introduce water into the engine room. Then he asked the rest of the crew – also Ukrainian – to abandon ship and allow the vessel to sink. The crew instead declined and worked to stop the flooding. Thanks to their immediate reaction, they prevented the vessel from sinking. When Spanish police arrived, the engineer took full responsibility. The man said he tried to scuttle the yacht after watching news reports from Ukraine on the television. He was arrested by Civil Guard officers on Saturday and later released on bail.
This story involves the 48m Superyacht Lady Anastasia, which, reportedly, belongs to the chief executive of a Russian military weapons company. Spanish authorities are attempting to confirm the identity of the Lady Anastasia’s owner, since – like most superyachts – her title is held by a holding company, not an individual. The yacht was docked in Majorca in Spain when the mechanic opened valves in its engine room.
There was no immediate comment from Mr Mikheev or Rosoboronexport, which exports Russian defence products, including tanks, fighting vehicles, aircraft, ships, weapons and ammunition.
Lady Anastasia was built only for private use in 2001 by Sensation Yachts. She has room for 10 guests and 9 crew, and her 5,600 hp powerplant propels her at speeds up to 23 knots.
