While merchant ships and oil tankers struggled to survive, the Soviet-born billionaire’s $300 million yacht left Dubai and set off through the Strait of Hormuz on a 2,000-mile voyage to the Maldives.

While commercial cargo ships and oil tankers postponed or turned back due to rising military tensions, a Soviet-born billionaire’s $300 million yacht successfully passed through the sensitive Strait of Hormuz on a 2,000-mile voyage to the Maldives.The futuristic ship, Motor Yacht A, owned by businessman Andrey Melnichenko, departed Dubai’s Port Rashid on July 4. According to ship tracking analysis by YouTube channel The Yacht Report, the 390-foot yacht safely crossed the narrow, closely monitored waterway before entering the open waters of the Indian Ocean.The journey follows a similar path taken earlier this year by Nord, another 466-foot megayacht.

Both voyages are unusual because most luxury yacht captains avoid the Strait of Hormuz due to security concerns and the risk of conflict.

A sudden departure after four years

This trip represents Melnichenko’s first major trip outside the United Arab Emirates since March 2022. The billionaire moved his assets to the Gulf after Western countries imposed sanctions on them following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.For almost four years, Motor Yacht A stayed close to the coast of the United Arab Emirates, anchored first off Ras Al Khaimah and then near The World Islands in Dubai.

Last year, the yacht sailed briefly towards Oman under the Malaysian flag before turning back. This latest voyage indicates that the ship has now left the Gulf on a longer voyage.Built by German shipbuilder Blohm+Voss and delivered in 2008, this yacht is one of the most extraordinary private ships in the world. French designer Philippe Starck gave it a bold design with a sharp reverse arch and a low, metal shape. Many people compare it to an invisible battleship or Captain Nemo’s fictional Nautilus submarine.The simple yacht name A was also carefully chosen. Besides honoring Melnichenko’s wife, Alexandra, the one-letter name places the ship at the top of many world shipping records.

Inside a luxury floating house

Behind its military-style exterior lies a luxurious interior covering 23,600 square feet across eight floors. The owner’s private apartment is 2,500 square feet, has bomb-proof glass windows and a custom-designed king-size trundle bed.The yacht has seven guest cabins with movable walls that can combine the rooms into larger suites. Philippe Starck used expensive materials throughout the interior, including white stingray leather, soft calf leather, and custom chairs made from alligator leather and kudu horn. Bathrooms feature stainless steel Jacuzzi bathtubs and floor-to-ceiling mirrors.The 5,959 gross ton yacht is powered by twin MAN diesel engines.

It has three pools, including a glass-bottomed pool that forms the roof of the nightclub below. Other features include a helipad, an on-board hovercraft, two custom aircraft designed by Starck, and a private garage designed to hold the owner’s luxury car.

A sister yacht was seized in Italy

While Motor Yacht A avoided European waters by staying in the Middle East, Melnichenko’s larger yacht was not so lucky. In March 2022, Italian authorities confiscated his 468-foot sailing yacht A.The ship built by Nobiskrug is considered the largest sailing yacht in the world. It was seized in the port of Trieste in northern Italy a few days after Melnichenko was placed on the European Union sanctions list. The value of the yacht was estimated at 530 million euros ($578 million).Melnichenko made his fortune through significant stakes in fertilizer company EuroChem Group and coal producer SUEK. After the sanctions were imposed, the two companies said he resigned from their board of directors and was no longer a financial beneficiary.After the assets were seized, Alex Andreev, Melnichenko’s spokesman, defended the billionaire and said that the sanctions would be challenged in court.“He has no political affiliations,” Andreev said. He added, “There is no justification for including it on the European Union sanctions list. We will challenge these unjustified sanctions and believe that the rule of law and common sense will prevail.”

How the collapse of the Soviet Union helped the billionaire

Andrei Melnichenko began building his fortune after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

He left university and set up a chain of currency exchange kiosks in Moscow, taking advantage of Russia’s newly open market economy. In 1993, he co-founded MDM Bank, which quickly grew into one of the largest private banks in Russia. Around 2000, he switched from banking to industry, buying coal mines, fertilizer plants and other industrial assets with his business partner Sergei Popov.

These investments led to the creation of Eurochem, now one of the world’s largest fertilizer producers, and SOIC, Russia’s largest coal company.

These businesses became the main source of his multi-billion dollar fortune. His current net worth is estimated at $20-25 billion, making him one of the richest people in Russia.

Why has the Strait of Hormuz become a global concern?

The latest tensions over the Strait of Hormuz began after the conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States escalated in 2025. The strait, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, with about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies passing through it.After military strikes and escalating threats in the region, Iran warned that it may close the strait if pressure on the country continues. Because Iran controls the northern side of the waterway, it has the ability to disrupt shipping using naval forces, mines, or other military actions.The United States became involved because any disruption of the strait could affect global energy prices and international trade.

Washington deploys military forces in the Gulf region to protect shipping routes and support its allies. The US Navy also carried out operations aimed at keeping the waterway open.Although Iran has threatened to close the strait several times, it has not completely closed the route. However, fears of a potential closure have already affected shipping decisions, with some commercial ships delaying journeys, changing routes or avoiding the area due to security risks.