Mega-yacht seized from Russian oligarch is costing US taxpayers nearly $1MILLION a month to maintain as court battle to sell ship rages on

A mega-yacht seized from a Russian oligarch almost two years ago by the U.S. government is costing taxpayers nearly $1 million a month in upkeep, court records revealed.

The 348-foot-long, $300 million Amadea mega-yacht was seized from Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov in May 2022 as part of an effort to put pressure on Russia to end the war in Ukraine.

It has been docked in San Diego since it arrived in the United States in June 2022 and is costing $922,000 a month to maintain, according to court records.

Authorities are looking to sell the yacht, but Russian businessman Eduard Khudainatov is challenging the ownership of the boat in court. 

'It is “excessive” for taxpayers to pay nearly a million dollars per month to maintain the Amadea when these expenses could be reduced to zero through interlocutory sale,' the government said in recent court filings. 

The 348-foot-long, $300 million Amadea mega-yacht seized from Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov in May 2022 is costing taxpayers nearly $1 million a month in upkeep

Authorities are looking to sell the yacht seized from Kerimov (left), but Russian businessman Eduard Khudainatov (right) is challenging the ownership of the boat in court

The Amadea was taken out from the San Diego Bay through a loop off the coast of La Jolla on a maintenance voyage in January

The costs breakdown as $600,000 per month in running costs; $360,000 for the crew; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food and other expenses, reported CNBC. 

The government is paying $144,000 in monthly pro-rata insurance costs and other charges, including dry-docking fees, add an additional $178,000, bringing the total to $922,000.

The luxury yacht features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and a large helipad. 

It was built in 2017 by German company Lurssen, according to Superyacht Times and is listed as the 63rd largest yacht in the world.

The Amadea was taken out from the San Diego Bay through a loop off the coast of La Jolla on a maintenance voyage in January, reported CBS 8.

Khudainatov has claimed ownership of the Amadea and said it cannot not be forfeited to the U.S. government because he has not been sanctioned. 

Prosecutors argue Khudainatov is acting as the Amadea's 'straw owner' to disguise Kerimov's role.

Kerimov, 57, was sanctioned in 2022 for violating previous sanctions against him by using U.S. bank accounts to buy products and services 'for the operation and maintenance of the Amadea.'

The costs breakdown as $600,000 per month in running costs; $360,000 for the crew; $75,000 for fuel; and $165,000 for maintenance, waste removal, food and other expenses

The government is paying $144,000 in monthly pro-rata insurance costs and other charges, including dry-docking fees, add an additional $178,000, bringing the total to $922,000

The luxury yacht features a live lobster tank, a hand-painted piano, a swimming pool and a large helipad. It was built in 2017 by German company Lurssen, according to Superyacht Times and is listed as the 63rd largest yacht in the world

He was previously sanctioned in 2018 for being 'complicit in certain activities with respect to Ukraine' after Russia invaded the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

The oligarch is a former oil trader and a member of the Russian Federation Council, the country's upper legislative chamber. He is a close ally of President Vladimir Putin and is worth a reported $14.5 billion.

The Amadea was docked in Fiji when U.S. authorities first attempted to seize the boat.

The U.S. ultimately won a legal battle in Fiji to take the boat and now are looking to sell it while the ownership is being challenged in U.S. court.

If the U.S. government succeeds in auctioning the yacht, it would likely eventually transfer sale proceeds to Ukraine.