Prosecutors Seek Compensation for Volga River Yacht Fire
Nothing remains of the yacht worth almost a million dollars.
The Saratov Interdistrict Environmental Prosecutor«s Office has filed a lawsuit with the Leninsky District Court of St. Petersburg over damage caused to the Volga River. The claim exceeds 500,000 rubles ($5,600 at current rates), according to the press service of the Volga Environmental Prosecutor»s Office.
As previously reported, on August 16, the vessel «Mechta» caught fire near Khvalynsk. It was owned by OOO «Ertel Severo-Zapad» (Ertel North-West LLC), registered in St. Petersburg. The company«s website states that the organization specializes in comprehensive automation of enterprises and sports and entertainment facilities.
The LLC is owned by entrepreneurs Yevgeny Maslov (39%) and Alexander Malik (61%). The latter also heads the company. According to 164.RU, it was the 59-year-old native of Vologda Oblast, Alexander Malik, who was on board the yacht at the time of the fire.
Rescuers, together with fishermen, evacuated six people from the yacht during the fire; none were injured. The fire completely destroyed the vessel. The damage amounted to 46 million rubles ($511,100 at current rates). Additionally, as the yacht burned, petroleum products began to leak into the Volga. Over 57,000 square meters of the river«s surface were contaminated with fuel and lubricants.
The yacht «Mechta» was built in 1998 at the Turkish shipyard Ses Deniz Araclari and was originally named EBRU II. In the 2000s, it was reconstructed at the Kherson plant, where it received its current name. In November 2022, the luxury yacht ran aground opposite the Saratov embankment. It was only refloated with the help of tugs «Reidovy-22» and RBT-124, which delivered «Mechta» to Balakovo.
Last November, it was discovered that petroleum products had spilled into the Volga during the sinking. The owner was issued a notice to compensate for the damage and raise the remains of the vessel from the riverbed.
Now, the department«s employees have gone to court to seek compensation for the damage. Additionally, the owner»s property has been seized as a precautionary measure.
