For all the many awful things about Russia’s war in Ukraine, there is at least one entertaining and valuable outcome: the online spectator sport of tracking the luxury boats owned by Kremlin-connected oligarchs. Known as “klepto bingo,” “yacht bingo,” #YachtWatch or “yacht justice,” it might seem like a frivolous or even cavalier pastime for untold numbers of people all over the world. But it is actually scratching a big itch for long-time Russia watchers.
In the six weeks since Russia invaded its neighbor, justice and finance ministries in a dozen countries have levied sanctions against Russia’s wealthiest elites. And to date, authorities in France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom have seized close to a dozen luxury boats suspected of belonging to Russian oligarchs.
We’ve also seen the launch of a major international task force to track and freeze Russian oligarchs’ wealth and assets, supported by the United States and several other countries, as well as a dedicated interagency law enforcement effort led by the U.S. Justice Department.