The once-sanctioned 136-metre Lürssen's Flying Fox – associated with Imperial Yachts has found freedom again as the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) removes it from its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, signifying the latest twist in the Russian sanctions saga.

In the intricate Russian sanctions saga, the renowned Flying Fox, a 136-metre vessel from Lürssen's dock associated with Imperial Yachts undergoes a turn of events. The US Office of Foreign Assets Control has cleared the yacht from its Specially Designated Nationals list allowing it unrestricted global access. Boasting a 9,022 gross tonnage and adorned with designs from Espen Ôino and Mark Berryman, the Flying Fox became entangled in international sanctions following the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict. The US Department of Treasury marked the yacht as blocked property, given Imperial yachts' alleged links with Russian interests, implicating both the company and its CEO, Evgeniy Kochman. Despite becoming available for UK and EU citizens through Bluewater Yachting Dubai, previously, American citizens and US territories were off-limits. This development reignites hopes for the Flying Fox to traverse unrestricted in global waters, brushing away previous constraints.