US officials have recovered a possible Fabergé egg from the Russian oligarch’s seized yacht

CNN
—

US law enforcement recovered what appeared to be a Fabergé egg from a yacht seized from a Russian oligarch in Fiji, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said Wednesday.

The $300 million yacht, owned by sanctioned Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, was driven by US law enforcement from Fiji to San Diego Bay late last month, where it remains moored.

Monaco told the Aspen Security Forum that the jewel egg, which if genuine would make it one of the few left in the world and would be worth millions of dollars, was one of the most “interesting” discoveries. federal law enforcement officials have made aboard the seized yachts. Eggs, now priceless collectibles, were created by the House of Fabergé in St. Petersburg between the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century.

As part of the Justice Department’s “KleptoCapture” initiative and a multinational task force called REPO – Russian Elites, Proxies and Oligarchs – the United States and its allies have seized billions of dollars in Russian assets sanctioned since March, according to the Treasury. Department. The initiatives were launched after Russia invaded Ukraine, in order to drain Russia of resources used to support its war effort.

Other yachts seized overseas since the start of the war include a 255ft yacht owned by Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, according to the Justice Department; a 132ft superyacht owned by Russian oligarch Gennady Timchenko; and a 289ft yacht linked to oligarch Igor Sechin.

The efforts so far have not stopped Russian President Vladimir Putin from continuing the war. But Monaco said it remained “important to expose corruption” and demonstrate to the Russians that “we will do everything we can to seek out their ill-gotten gains”.

The United States has worked with law enforcement counterparts around the world to search and seize the yachts, she added, and the Justice Department has asked Congress for permission to give the Ukraine the proceeds of seized goods.