Putin’s £73m superyacht named Graceful leaves German port ahead of possible sanctions over Ukraine crisis

VLADIMIR Putin’s superyacht was spotted leaving a German port before possible Western sanctions against Ukraine were implemented.

The £73.2m yacht, named Graceful, has been at Blohm Voss shipyard since September 2021 for a cleaning and overhaul.

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The ship was seen in the Kiel Canal a few hours after leaving the port of Hamburg – and is currently in the Baltic Sea.

The German daily Bild said the move was “clearly a flight out of fear of being caught”.

This move comes in the context of escalating tensions between NATO member countries and Russia over the Ukraine country.

NATO forces reported a Russia builds border with Ukraine, with an estimated number of troops stationed there at more than 110,000.

NATO member states including Spain, Denmark, France and the US have sent military equipment and personnel to Ukraine to intercept.

Russian chairperson Vladimir Putin recently said in a statement that Ukraine should not try to join the European Union or NATO.

But President Emmanuel Macron recently said that President Putin gave personal guarantees to Ukraine, after The French president met with the Russian leader in an attempt to defuse tensions.

Mr. Macron said there should be a useful response to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Putin praised France’s role in shaping European security.

And the United States has threatened severe punishment if the Russians invade Ukraine.

There is also controversy over the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, which is set to transport gas from Russia to Europe in a move that could bypass Ukraine.

US President Joe Biden has said that if Russia invades Ukraine, there will be no more Nord Stream 2 and the project will be closed.

Meanwhile, civilians in Ukraine took part in open military training when some 200,000 fully equipped Russian troops landed on their borders.

The country is besieged Yes exercise increase amid fears an invasion could come “at any time”.

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