Italy Seizes Oligarchs’ Villas and Yachts to Put Pressure on Russia

Italy Seizes Oligarchs’ Villas and Yachts to Put Pressure on Russia
General view of a branch of Monte dei Paschi di Siena (MPS), the oldest bank in the world, which is facing massive layoffs as part of a planned business merger, in Siena, Italy, on Aug. 11 2021. Jennifer Lorenzini/Reuters
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ROME—Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth 143 million euros ($156 million) from five high-profile Russians who were placed on sanctions lists following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, the government said on Saturday.

The luxury properties were sequestered in some of Italy’s most prestigious retail estate locations - the island of Sardinia, by Lake Como and in Tuscany—while two superyachts were grabbed at their moorings in northern ports.