Russian-Linked Yacht Denied Entry to Akureyri

2026-03-23 - 12:03

Earlier this week, a luxury yacht linked to a sanctioned Russian individual was refused entry to Akureyri after Icelandic authorities applied European Economic Area (EEA) sanctions rules. As reported by Vísir, the Icelandic Coast Guard said the vessel had submitted an arrival report while en route from Istanbul with 26 people on board. What's the Story? Yacht sailing under Panamanian flag denied entry to Akureyri following assessment by Icelandic Coast Guard Vessel travelled from Istanbul with 26 people on board; previously sailed under Russian flag until September 2022 Decision based on EEA sanctions rules; case handled in coordination with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sanctions enforcement decision The yacht, currently sailing under a Panamanian flag, had requested access to port in Akureyri. The Coast Guard said the decision followed an assessment of sanctions enforced by the Government of Iceland. These rules deny port access to ships that previously sailed under the Russian flag and changed registration after 24 February 2022. “Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the ship sailed under the Russian flag from April 2021 to September 2022. The Icelandic Coast Guard sent a message to the ship requesting information and confirmation that the ship sailed under the Russian flag until September 2022,” the announcement states. Although the vessel is not named in the official statement, it was later identified as the yacht of Oleg Tinkov, who was convicted of tax evasion in 2021. Authorities confirmed that, based on collected data, the vessel met the criteria for refusal and the captain was notified accordingly. The Coast Guard said it is in communication with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the case.