£350m superyacht given to ex-wife of Putin-linked billionaire in Britain's biggest divorce case

A £350m superyacht commissioned by Roman Abramovich has been handed to the ex-wife of a Putin-linked billionaire as part of Britain's biggest divorce case. 

The High Court ruled that "Luna", a 377ft yacht which oligarch Farkhad Akhmedov bought from Chelsea owner Mr Abramovich in 2014, should be transferred to Tatyana Akhmedova as part of an unprecedented £453m divorce settlement. 

Mr Akhmedov, 61, a Russian billionaire who made his money in the gas industry, has been attempting to "evade enforcement" of an earlier court decision to give 41 per cent of his fortune to his ex-wife, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave said. 

He ruled that the yacht, which has 10 VIP guest cabins, a 20-metre outdoor swimming pool, nine decks, eight small tends, a mini-submarine and a full crew of 50, should now be given to Ms Akhmedova as part of the divorce payout which she has not yet received. 

It is the 23rd largest luxury yacht in the world and also has two helipads, a spa and a gym. 

According to a written judgment published on Thursday, the yacht sailed into Dubai in October last year and has since been in a dry dock for maintenance. 

"This may have been because [Mr Akhmedov] assumed that Dubai was well beyond the reach of an English Court judgment," the judgment added. 

The oligarch has conducted an "elaborate and contumacious campaign to evade and frustrate the enforcement of the Judgment debt against him," the judge said. 

The yacht has been transferred to the ownership of a company, in an "attempt by [Mr Akhmedov] to evade enforcement," he added.

It is currently "effectively impounded" in Port Rashid under court order after the company's assets were frozen. 

In a statement issued after the ruling lawyers for Ms Akhmedova said: “Mr Akhmedov has employed a series of evasive and underhand tactics aimed at frustrating attempts to enforce the judgment made by the English Court against him. 

"We are very pleased that the High Court has recognised this today and that Mr Justice Haddon-Cave has taken the uncommon step of 'piercing the corporate veil' in recognising that the companies owning Mr Akhmedov's assets are simply his tools."

A spokesman for Mr Akhmedov said in a statement after the ruling that the case should never have been brought before an English court.

He added: "Like the previous matrimonial award, it lacks any legal validity.

"It will have no bearing on the appeal hearing which the DIFC [Dubai International Finance Centre] has properly granted to the family trust which owns the Luna.

"This will be heard next month. Any idea that the yacht can be sold or handed over to Mrs Akhmedova is fanciful.

"For that to happen - by the time all legal procedures were exhausted - would take years.

'By then the yacht could have depreciated to such an extent that, even if Tatiana was ultimately victorious, it would be a completely hollow victory since the vessel could by then only be sold for scrap."