How Royal Romance went from Medvedchuk to Ukraine

Royal Romance was delivered to Viktor Medvedchuk in July 2015. He sold it in March 2021 but kept control through legal loopholes. A Croatian judge ordered its transfer to Ukraine in May 2024 after years of arrest and search.

The 93-metre motor yacht Royal Romance sits in the Adriatic Sea. Her last known position is at 43.53° N, 16.43° E. This spot is near Rijeka, Croatia. It is where she was detained for two years.

She was built by Feadship in 2015. The Dutch cooperative delivered her to Viktor Medvedchuk. He is a former Ukrainian politician and businessman. He holds Russian and Ukrainian citizenship.

Medvedchuk sold the hull on 31 March 2021. The buyer remains unknown. Yet he stayed linked to the vessel through legal claims. Sanctions froze his assets after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

Who built Royal Romance, and what are her specs?

Feadship built Royal Romance in 2015. The yard is a Dutch cooperative. It combines Royal Van Lent and Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw. De Voogt Naval Architects designed the hull. The interior design is by Seymour Diamond. The yacht accommodates 14 guests and 22 crew members. She has a beam of 15 metres. Her gross tonnage is 2,933. This volume measures her inside space.

Her engines are twin MTU units. Each produces 3,004 hp. Together they make 6,008 hp. This power gives a top speed of 15 knots. She carries a swimming pool on the aft deck. The hull is steel. The superstructure is aluminium with teak decks. Lloyd's Register issued her classification. The Cayman Islands issued her flag initially.

How did sanctions freeze the asset?

Ukraine listed Medvedchuk on 19 February 2021. The National Security and Defense Council cited terrorism financing. The Prosecutor General accused him of treason on 11 May 2021. He faced charges of looting Crimea. House arrest began on 13 May 2021. He escaped on 28 February 2022. Four days later, Russia invaded Ukraine. He fled to Russia in September 2022.

The United States sanctioned him in March 2022. They accused him of plotting a puppet government. The European Union added him to its blacklist. These sanctions froze his assets. They blocked his access to funds. The yacht was one of those assets. Croatia held the physical vessel. The legal freeze required a court order to move title.

What happened during the joint search?

Judge Dinko Mešin granted a warrant on 15 November 2022. He issued it on behalf of the FBI. The warrant targeted alleged money laundering. The suspects were Medvedchuk and his wife, Oksana Marchenko. Both were under US sanctions. Croatian Police and the FBI executed the search on 19 November 2022. They inspected the interior. They collected documents and photographs.

The search confirmed the luxury nature of the yacht. It featured a swimming pool on the main deck. Seymour Diamond designed the interiors. De Voogt Naval Architects drew the lines. The findings linked the vessel to Medvedchuk. The register showed his name. This link supported the seizure case. The court used this evidence to justify transfer.

How did the transfer to ARMA happen?

The Croatian court ruled after the search. They ordered Royal Romance transferred to ARMA. ARMA is the Ukrainian Asset Recovery and Management Agency. The judge stated this would preserve economic value. The plan was to sell the yacht at auction. Proceeds would help Ukraine recover losses. The war had caused massive damage. Assets like yachts became symbols of resistance.

Medvedchuk appealed the decision. He contested the jurisdiction. He argued the sale in 2021 was valid. He claimed he no longer owned the hull. The court rejected his arguments. They focused on the registration. The name on the paper was still his. That link was enough for seizure. The process took nearly two years. From arrest in March 2022 to transfer in May 2024. The delay involved legal appeals and administrative checks. In May 2024, the transfer completed. The yacht was registered to Ukraine. ARMA now holds the title. The hull is state property.

Why did the sale not change ownership?

Maritime law treats a yacht as a separate entity. The name on the register matters more than the bill of sale. Medvedchuk remained the registered owner when the invasion began.

He had sold the boat to an undisclosed party. But he kept the title in his name. This gap allowed him to retain control. It also made the asset vulnerable to seizure.

The United States sanctioned Medvedchuk in March 2022. They accused him of plotting a puppet government. The European Union added him to its blacklist. Ukraine moved first, listing him in February 2021.

Sanctions block access to funds and services. They do not automatically move title. A court must order that step. Croatia provided the venue because the yacht was in its port.

The hull measures 93 metres long. She has a beam of 15 metres. Her gross tonnage is 2,933. These figures place her in the megayacht class. Her value is estimated at $200 million.

What happened during the arrest in Rijeka?

Croatian authorities arrested Royal Romance in March 2022. They held her in the port of Rijeka. The action followed the US sanctions announcement. It targeted Medvedchuk’s assets directly.

The arrest was wrongful, according to later reports. The timing coincided with Medvedchuk’s escape. He fled house arrest on 28 February 2022. He disappeared into Russia shortly after.

While he was gone, the yacht stayed put. She remained tied to the dock. Croatian police secured the vessel. They prevented any attempt to move her out of the EU.

The delay gave investigators time to act. They needed proof of illicit funds. The yacht itself was seen as collateral. Its sale could repay victims or fund recovery.

Medvedchuk’s wife, Oksana Marchenko, was also sanctioned. Both faces were on the US list. The FBI opened a money-laundering probe against them. They suspected the yacht funded their wealth.

Why did the FBI join the Croatian search?

On 15 November 2022, a Croatian judge granted a warrant. Judge Dinko Mešin issued it for the FBI. The request came from American investigators.

They wanted to inspect the interior. They looked for evidence of crime. The alleged crimes involved money laundering. The source was supposed to be Medvedchuk’s political career.

Croatian Police and the FBI acted together. They boarded the yacht on 19 November 2022. The joint search lasted several days. Agents took photographs and documents.

The search confirmed the yacht’s luxury status. It featured a swimming pool on the main deck. Seymour Diamond designed the interiors. De Voogt Naval Architects drew the lines.

The findings supported the seizure case. The vessel was clearly linked to Medvedchuk. Even though he claimed to have sold it, the register told a different story.

The investigation shifted focus to ARMA. This is the Ukrainian Asset Recovery and Management Agency. Ukraine wanted the asset for the state. They argued it belonged to the nation.

How did the court order the transfer?

After the search, the Croatian court ruled. They decided Royal Romance should go to ARMA. The judge said this would preserve economic value.

The plan was to sell at auction. Proceeds would help Ukraine recover losses. The war had caused massive damage. Assets like yachts became symbols of resistance.

Medvedchuk appealed the decision. He contested the jurisdiction. He argued the sale in 2021 was valid. He claimed he no longer owned the hull.

The court rejected his arguments. They focused on the registration. The name on the paper was still his. That link was enough for seizure.

The process took nearly two years. From arrest in March 2022 to transfer in May 2024. The delay involved legal appeals and administrative checks.

In May 2024, the transfer completed. The yacht was registered to Ukraine. ARMA now holds the title. The hull is state property.

What does this mean for future seizures?

The Royal Romance case sets a precedent. It shows how sanctions work across borders. A US sanction can trigger a European arrest.

It also highlights the power of registers. The public record outweighs private contracts. Owners cannot hide behind shell sales easily.

Other oligarchs watch closely. Their yachts may face similar fates. The risk of seizure is real. The reward for compliance is high.

Ukraine gains a valuable asset. The yacht could fetch hundreds of millions. That money helps rebuild cities. It supports the war effort.

Medvedchuk remains in Russia. He was exchanged for prisoners in September 2022. He lost his seat in parliament in January 2023. His influence is broken.

The yacht tells a clear story. Power leaves quickly when laws change. Steel stays. The law moves it.