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Breaking news, jeff bezos’ unfinished mega yacht towed away after bridge drama, threats of egging.

Jeff Bezos’ unfinished mega yacht was towed away from a Dutch shipbuilding yard before dawn Tuesday just weeks after Rotterdam residents threatened to pelt the luxury vessel with eggs if the city went through with plans to dismantle a landmark bridge to make way for the $500 million ship.

The 417-foot long, three-masted yacht, which goes by the name Y721 , was relocated from the Oceanco shipyard in Alblasserdam to the Greenport yard just 24 miles away in Rotterdam, according to the German-language daily Der Spiegel.

Video of the towing was posted to YouTube by Dutch yacht enthusiast Hanco Bol.

“We never saw a transport going that fast,” Bol writes of what he witnessed. It took less than three hours for the ship to travel southwest along the Noord canal even though it normally requires nearly twice as much time to traverse the route, according to Bol.

He speculates that Oceanco, the company that was commissioned to build the yacht, chose the timing of the move in order to keep it under wraps given the considerable publicity it has generated.

Rotterdammers who were furious about plans to dismantle “De Hef” bridge , also known as Koningshaven, had threatened to pelt the yacht with eggs if it made the journey.

Bol writes that the yacht’s route was designed to avoid traveling through the Rotterdam city center and underneath “De Hef” — even though it would have saved more time.

Oceanco last month announced that it had dropped its request for the Rotterdam city council to approve the temporary dismantling of the bridge.

The company had indicated that Bezos, the Amazon founder and second-richest person in the world, was willing to foot the bill for the removal of the middle section of the span so that the yacht would be able to sail through the Nieuwe Mass River.

Bol speculates that Oceanco intentionally avoided towing the unfinished yacht underneath “De Hef.”

“I think that was intentional,” he told Der Spiegel. 

“When I was standing on one of the bridges, they shined a searchlight on me, so it wasn’t easy for me to take pictures.”

According to Dutch media reports, it will take several more months for the ship to be completed.

The Post has reached out to Amazon and Oceanco seeking comment.

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Reviewed: Viking Yachts 90 Sky Bridge

• By Tom Serio
• October 20, 2023

Viking Yachts built 21 of its 92-foot convertibles in less than seven years, so the New Gretna, New Jersey, boatbuilder knew there was strong demand for supersize sport-fishermen. But a pending change in emissions regulations involving selective catalytic reduction would have forced the addition of costly, heavy equipment to the engine rooms, decreasing performance and efficiencies. As a result, Viking ceased production on its 92-footer (and its 93 Motoryacht ) and developed a 90-foot convertible that would fall just under the required size for the rule.

Now, that Viking Yachts 90 has arrived. Hull No. 1 is a Sky Bridge model in what the builder calls Kingston Grey. Convertible and Enclosed Bridge versions are also available, with at least seven more hulls in production or ready for the molds as of this writing.

When I stepped up to the 24-foot-high perch on the Sky Bridge, I felt like I could almost see the Earth’s curve. Triple multifunction displays and twin covered consoles for radios and switches flanked the Palm Beach faux-wood helm. The Sky Bridge also offers a great vantage point for eyeing baits behind the boat.

Below, at the enclosed bridge’s helm, five multifunction screens wrap toward the captain’s position, creating a true glass-helm setup. Every navigation, fishing and operational function can be monitored here. There’s room under the screens for additional engine monitors and radios, as well as space on the console for more electronics. To aid the skipper’s visibility, the forward windshield is one piece until it reaches the corners. There are three beefy wipers, and no mullions to block the view. Flanking the captain’s chair are two double bench seats so guests can also enjoy the commanding views.

Running to and from the fishing grounds can take time—well, not too long at a 33-knot cruise speed—but for those longer runs, this yacht’s all-weather enclosed bridge provides the comforts of home. This space has the same high-gloss walnut woodwork, fabrics and features found throughout the yacht. Dual fridge drawers are in an end table, reducing trips to the galley. An L-shaped settee with a wood coffee table is to port, and an interior curved staircase is nestled into the after corner, leading to the main deck.

One might think that getting a 90-foot yacht up to speed would take a minute. Not so. Hull No. 1 is powered with optional twin 2,635 hp MTU 16V 2000 M96L diesels, which provide a 38.2-knot top hop and the aforementioned 33-knot cruising speed, with a range of approximately 600 nautical miles. Standard powerplants are twin 1,925 hp Caterpillar C32A diesels.

In addition to having solid speed, this hefty 90-footer (with its 193,000-pound displacement) is nimble and responsive to wheel input in real time. Backing down, the 90 runs true and is agile, with the ability to spin in any direction on a dime. I noted limited splash and overflow into the cockpit as we ran several backing-down scenarios.

As I stepped into the main salon off the dual-level mezzanine, my eye was drawn to the wraparound galley to starboard. It has a backlit stone countertop and every appliance needed for formal meals or pre-fishing snacks: a four-burner electric cooktop, Sub-Zero fridges and freezers, and a dishwasher. Five fixed stools ring the L-shaped counter for casual dining with family and crew.

The 42-by-78-inch dining table to port is on a raised platform with an artfully crafted walnut-veneer centerpiece. An opposing walnut band separated by polished chrome inlays is ringed by high-gloss black paint.

Guests can relax after dinner in the U-shaped settee aft and to port, across from the 65-inch HDTV. Walnut and teak woods add a warm feeling to the interior spaces. Ultraleathers and fine fabrics are used on furnishings to create seating that’s soft, supple and tough to leave.

Outside is a serious setup for angling aficionados. The 224-square-foot cockpit (same size as on the Viking 92) is ready for battle with mammoth-size marlin, thanks to a fighting chair, a rocket launcher, a table or some other combination of an owner’s choosing. Twin 103-gallon in-deck refrigerated fish boxes can keep the bigeye cold, and a 203-gallon transom livewell is ready for the baits to stay frisky.

Many times, sport fishing is a spectator sport, and the Viking 90 accounts for that. The two-tiered mezzanine has three areas that allow the crew to keep an eye on the spread and for guests to watch the action. The lower section has a sofa on centerline. The upper area has an L-shaped settee to port with a teak table, and there is a cushioned bench to starboard. The latter two spaces are under the flybridge overhang, protected from the elements. Under each seat is stowage, either for fishing gear or cold drinks. Backrest air conditioning is available in the seating.

There is also a dedicated watertight hatch in the deck for a Seakeeper 35, allowing for easy maintenance or equipment swap-outs.

The Viking Yachts 90 Sky Bridge is an impressive vessel. All at once, it’s a bluewater-ready sport-fisher that can chase pelagics around the planet, a tournament contender that can accommodate a sizable crew, and a true yacht that offers a high level of luxury and relaxation when the day’s fishing is done.  

The Comfort Equation

According to Viking, each of the 90’s five guest staterooms and the crew quarters were analyzed inch by inch to maximize functionality. An elegantly appointed full-beam master stateroom is amidships with a king berth, a Jack-and-Jill head with a central shower stall, a vanity, a sofa, a maple-lined walk-in closet and a 65-inch TV. The forepeak VIP is en suite, with three more en suite guest staterooms between the VIP and the master. Crew quarters are aft.

The Hull Story

Enhanced lifting strakes, redesigned prop pockets and refined driveline components (custom struts and rudders) all add to the performance I experienced on board the Viking 90 Sky Bridge. Viking’s engineers got here via computational fluid dynamics that let them visualize the flow of water under the hull to optimize its form. This technology lets the builder’s team test multiple permutations much faster than traditional tank testing. 

Systems Management

The Viking 90 Sky Bridge’s power management and electrical controls are handled via an OctoPlex digital-switching system, which reduces wiring and allows for multiple displays throughout the yacht.

Take the next step: vikingyachts.com

• More: Reviewed , September 2023 , Viking , Viking Yachts , Yacht Reviews , Yachts
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Timeline of the Bayesian luxury yacht disaster in Sicily

The Bayesian superyacht sank near Porticello early Monday morning.

Seven people died after a luxury superyacht sank off the coast of Sicily, with their bodies recovered less than a week after the shipwreck.

British tech mogul Mike Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among those recovered after the Bayesian sank near Porticello early Monday morning.

Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel, along with Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer, his wife Judy Bloomer, Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo were also recovered at the scene.

Italian prosecutors have opened a manslaughter investigation into their deaths and here the PA news agency provides a timeline of events leading up to that announcement.

– Monday August 19

The Bayesian yacht, flying a British flag, sinks at around 5am local time when the area was hit by a tornado.

Fifteen people are rescued from the 55m (180ft) vessel – including a mother and baby – but another seven remain missing.

A body, believed to be that of a chef on the boat, is later found near the wreck.

It emerges that British technology tycoon Mike Lynch and his daughter are among six tourists that remain missing.

– Tuesday August 20

The search continues for the six tourists missing.

It is reported that among those missing are Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer; his wife, Judy Bloomer; Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo; and his wife, Neda Morvillo.

Police divers try to reach the hull of the ship, resting at a depth of 50 metres.

Italy’s fire brigade Vigili del Fuoco say early inspections of the wreck were “unsuccessful” because of limited access to the bridge and furniture obstructing passages.

The operation is later described as “complex”, with divers limited to 12-minute underwater shifts.

The Italian Coastguard tell PA they fear the six missing tourists have died, with their bodies trapped inside the luxury yacht.

It is confirmed that the body recovered at the scene of the sinking on Monday was that of Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the yacht.

Tributes pour in for the cook, with his friend Gareth Williams telling the BBC: “I can talk for everyone that knew him when I say he was a well-loved, kind human being with a calm spirit.”

– Wednesday August 21

The search for the six people unaccounted for enters a third day, with crews carrying out inspections of the yacht’s internal hull.

A team of four British inspectors from the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) arrive in Porticello to look at the site of the sinking.

A helicopter is drafted in to help with the search effort and remotely controlled underwater vehicles are being used, with naval units and cave divers also taking part in the search.

Five bodies are found inside the yacht on Wednesday afternoon. Only four of them are brought to shore.

Body bags are seen being taken to the port of Porticello in the afternoon where dozens of emergency services staff wait.

Searches finish for the day just before 7.30pm.

– Thursday August 22

The search resumes for the remaining missing person.

The body of the fifth missing person, found but not recovered the previous day, is brought to shore.

A fire service boat with flashing blue lights returns with a blue body bag to the port of Porticello just after 8.45am local time on Thursday.

Tributes pour in for Mr Lynch and Mr and Mrs Bloomer after they are identified as having died.

The search is called off at around 8pm in Sicily, with divers expected to begin again at 6.30am on Friday.

– Friday August 23

The search continues for the final person missing from the wreck of the Bayesian, later confirmed to be 18-year-old Hannah.

Vincenzo Zagarola, of the Italian Coastguard, says the search for Hannah has not been “easy or quick”, comparing the sunken yacht to an “18-storey building full of water”.

The coastguard confirms in the late morning that her body has been found.

A green body bag is seen being brought to the port of Porticello from the site of the sinking.

A spokesperson announces on behalf of her family that they are “devastated” and “in shock” after the bodies of Hannah and her father were recovered.

Hannah’s sister Esme pays tribute to her “little angel”.

– Saturday August 24

A press conference is held in the court of an Italian town – Termini Imerese.

Public prosecutor Ambrogio Cartosio tells reporters that his office has opened an initial investigation against unknown persons into manslaughter and negligent shipwreck, according to a translation.

The press conference also hears from the prosecutor in charge of the case, Raffaele Cammarano, maritime director of western Sicily Rear Admiral Raffaele Macauda, the fire brigade chief of Palermo, Bentivoglio Fiandra, and the brigade’s chief diver, Giuseppe Petrone.

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Missing revealed as divers search superyacht that sank in storm off Sicily

ROME — Rescue teams and divers were searching Tuesday for six missing people, including a British tech magnate and a Morgan Stanley boss, after a luxury superyacht sank in a storm off Sicily .

The identity of those still missing emerged after an initial search of the 184-foot sailboat, named the Bayesian, was unsuccessful Monday. The British-flagged tourist vessel had 22 people aboard when it sank because of “a violent storm” off Sicily’s main city, Palermo, around 5 a.m. local time (11 p.m. ET) on Monday, the local coast guard said.

Newly released video shows the moment the vessel suddenly sank after being battered by the storm. In the video, the 250-foot mast, which was lit up and lashed by the storm, appears to bend to one side before it disappears and is replaced by darkness.

The grainy images obtained by NBC News and other outlets were recorded on closed-circuit television not far from where the Bayesian was anchored.

Fifteen people were rescued by a boat present in the immediate vicinity and then brought ashore by coast guard vessels, but six passengers, including American, British and Canadian citizens, remained missing, it said. They were believed to be trapped in the boat's hull, some 164 feet underwater, posing a challenge to divers who returned Tuesday to the site off Porticello, near Palermo.

Salvatore Cocina, director of Sicily’s Civil Protection Agency, told NBC News that the missing include British tech magnate Mike Lynch and his daughter, Morgan Stanley International Chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, and Clifford Chance lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife.

Cocina did not specify the nationalities of the missing. He also did not identify Lynch's daughter or the wives of Bloomer and Morvillo.

A spokesperson for Clifford Chance, where Morvillo works as a lawyer, confirmed to NBC News on Tuesday that he and his wife, Neda, were among the missing. 

Aki Hussain, chief executive officer of U.K. insurance company Hiscox, where Bloomer is a nonexecutive chairman, confirmed to NBC News on Tuesday that Bloomer and his wife, Judy, were missing.

Italy’s national fire department said that its divers were able to get inside the wreck during a late-night dive Monday, inspecting some cabins under the bridge, but were having trouble navigating because of obstructions and narrow access gates. One of those obstructions was reported to have been caused by furniture from the cabins that moved during the storm that struck the ship early Monday.

Rescuers said that there might be bodies inside the cabins, especially considering the timing of the storm, but that they had so far been unable to check through the ship’s portholes.

Divers were forced to work in 12-minute underwater search shifts because of the depth, while surface searches continued in the area of ​​the shipwreck with a helicopter and a fire brigade boat, it added.

Mike Lynch, who was regularly described in U.K. media as “Britain’s Bill Gates,” was cleared of fraud charges in a blockbuster U.S. trial earlier this summer. Sources told CNBC on Monday that his wife, Angela Bacares, has been rescued. Italian news agency ANSA identified his daughter, missing alongside her father, as Hannah, 18.

Just days earlier, Lynch's co-defendant, Stephen Chamberlain, died after being “fatally struck by a car” while out running Saturday, his lawyer Gary Lincenberg said in an emailed statement.

The sailing vacation that ended in tragedy appeared to be something of a celebration after Lynch’s acquittal — Morvillo was one of Lynch’s U.S. lawyers and Bloomer testified in his defense.

“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic event. Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular our Chair, Jonathan Bloomer, and his wife Judy, who are among the missing,” Hussain, the Hiscox CEO, said in an emailed statement.

A Morgan Stanley spokesperson also said: “Our thoughts are with all those affected, in particular the Bloomer family, as we all wait for further news from this terrible situation.”

The Eve Appeal, a British cancer charity, described Judy Bloomer in an emailed statement as “a brilliant champion for women’s health and medical research.”

Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch said it was deploying a team of four inspectors to Palermo to conduct a preliminary assessment.

The coast guard said in a statement Monday that the ship’s cook had died. It did not give his nationality. Reuters identified him as Antiguan citizen Ricardo Thomas.

One of the survivors, identified as Charlotte Emsley, 35, told the Italian news agency ANSA that she had momentarily lost hold of her year-old daughter, Sofia, in the water but managed to retrieve her and hold her up over the waves until a lifeboat inflated and they were pulled to safety.

Built by Italian shipbuilder Perini Navi in 2008, the U.K.-registered, Bayesian can carry 12 guests and a crew of up to 10, according to online specialist yacht sites.

The yacht’s nearly 250-foot mast is the tallest aluminum sailing mast in the world, according to CharterWorld Luxury Yacht Charters. 

Luca Mercalli, an Italian climatologist and president of the country’s meteorological society, told Reuters that the storm could have involved a waterspout, essentially a tornado over water, or a downburst, a more frequent phenomenon that doesn’t involve the rotation of the air.

Storms and heavy rainfall have swept Italy in recent days after weeks of scorching heat.

“The sea surface temperature around Sicily was around 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit), which is almost 3 degrees more than normal,” Mercalli said. “This creates an enormous source of energy that contributes to these storms.”

Claudio Lavanga reported from Rome and Yuliya Talmazan from London.

RENAISSANCE Motor yacht for charter

• Length: 112m (367.4ft)
• 36 guests in 19 cabins
• Built: 2023, Freire Shipyard, Spain

With just three simple words, the benchmark of what the world’s most discerning guests can expect from a luxury yacht charter changes forever: Burgess introduces RENAISSANCE.

Matchless superyacht. Incomparable facilities and first-class service. A new era in charter.

• Accommodation for up to 36 guests in 19 cabins
• Palatial owner's deck featuring private fore and aft decks
• Spa deck with wellness area, treatment rooms, plunge pools, steam/sauna rooms, hairdressing/beauty room and fitness centre
• Sushi bar, BBQ bars and DJ zone
• Indoor cinema seating 19 guests
• Stunning beach club with port and starboard terraces
• 10m x 5m swimming pool on the main deck
• Dedicated business centre

About RENAISSANCE

With just three simple words, the benchmark of what the world’s most discerning guests can expect from a luxury yacht charter changes forever: Burgess introduces RENAISSANCE.

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Tenders & toys

• 2 × Limousine tenders
• 2 × Tenders
• 2 × Deck jacuzzis
• Anti-jellyfish pool
• Inflatable platform
• RYA training centre for jetskis & waverunners
• 6 × Waverunners
• 4 × Stand up jetskis
• 10 × SeaBobs
• 4 × eFoils
• 4 × Kayaks
• 6 × Stand up paddleboards
• Inflatable tows
• Fishing gear
• Snorkelling gear

Please note that tenders and toys are subject to regular upgrades and changes. Contact a Burgess broker for the latest information.

Fitness equipment

• Balance trainer
• Boxing equipment
• Cross trainer
• Free weights
• Kinesis machine
• Personal trainer
• Suspension trainer
• Training bench
• Upright stationary bike
• Beauty salon
• Hammam/Steam room
• Massage room
• On board masseuse

Please note that fitness equipment and wellness facilities are subject to regular upgrades and changes. Contact a Burgess broker for the latest information.

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Renaissance is available for those dates, renaissance is available for those dates subject to confirmation., sorry, renaissance isn't available for those dates, contact a broker to discuss your requirements, please change your dates or contact us for a personalised yacht selection..

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Introducing an All-New Flybridge Series

The new Flybridge series will include three new yachts, starting with the launch of the 55 FLY. This is all a result of an extraordinary fusion of technology and nature. These yachts will have a sleek, futuristic exterior reminiscent of a spaceship gliding on the water and boast clean styling lines inspired by marine predators. This extraordinary vessel, designed from the keel up, features an interior created in collaboration with renowned superyacht designer Luiz Debasto of Debasto Designs.

The design theme, "Back to Nature in a Tech World," blends organic shapes in earth and ocean tones, complemented with natural fibers. The result is a serene, inviting living space flooded with natural light.

Josh Delforge, VP of Operations and Engineering, comments, "We set out to create a 'Super Fly' – a yacht that exceeds all expectations of Cruisers flybridges of the past. Our design team focused on delivering the best-in-class water interaction, a superior flybridge entertaining space, and a fresh interior design direction, all wrapped in an updated evolution of the Cantius DNA. We take immense pride in building these amazing new vessels in our facilities in Wisconsin."

This Flybridge series promises to be more than a yacht; it's a modern marine engineering masterpiece designed for yachting enthusiasts who demand the very best. With its combination of sleek, innnovative design and unmatched features, it promises to be a game-changer in the luxury yachting world.

• The future of yachting has arrived for Cruisers Yachts with this new series — more details are to come on the 55 FLY with the official launch in 2024 and another model following shortly after in 2025.

Introducing

An All-New Flybridge Series

Preliminary Specifications

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Fill out the form below to connect with a Cruisers Yachts specialist and access our downloadable brochures.

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The Anatomy of a Yacht | Superyacht Terminology

Whether cruising with family and friends or enjoying an adventurous sailing trip, yachts can offer everything you need for the perfect holiday. Before stepping board, it can be useful to familarise yourself with the parts of a yacht to understand the language and terminology used by the crew onboard, and to appreciate how these impressive vessels work. From the keel to the sails, it's important to understand the anatomy of any vessel before setting out on a chartering journey.

The Parts of a Yacht - An Overview

Understanding the parts of a yacht not only improves your sailing experience but will also increase your appreciation of these powerful vessels. A standard yacht has several key parts, including a stern, hull, and bow. The stern, or aft, refers to the back the yacht, sometimes accompanied by a swim platform. On the other end of the vessel, the bow refers to the front of the yacht. The part of the yacht that floats in the water is referred to as the hull. Most traditional yachts have one hull, however catamarans are typically ‘multi-hull' having two points of contact with the sea.

Mischief superyacht was designed with an iconic French navy hull and white boot stipe.

Hulls – Materials and Design

As hulls are one of the largest components of a yacht, it is important that the design is intentional to withstand the elements on the ocean. The material that is it constructed of varies depending on the vessels size and intended use; it is common to see hulls made from wood, steel, or composite materials. Hulls play a crucial role is ensuring stability on board and a smooth journey as conditions on the ocean can vary.

Bridge & Bridge Deck

Port side & starboard side.

These terms refer to the left and right sides of a yacht; Port side refers to the left side, while starboard side is the right. A helpful tip is to remember the saying “there is a little bit of port left in the bottle.” This terminology is often used by crew in order to effectively communicate with their team in order to avoid accidents and safely navigate the seas, so you will likely hear these terms onboard your stay.

Lady Pamela’s large swim platform ideal for fishing or setting off paddleboarding.

Yacht Main Salon and Swim Platform

There is plenty of fun to be had in these two areas of a yacht. The main salon refers to the main living room onboard and is a space where yacht designers can showcase their personality in the design. Often featuring plush seating, stylish decor and high-end entertaining systems, guests can comfortably enjoy downtime relaxing and socialising in this area. The swim platform is exactly what it sounds like; it offers a convenient way to jump in to cool off and enjoy the water. When you feel it’s time to take a dip, the swim platform is the perfect spot to soak up the sun, enjoy the available watertoys , dip your feet in the ocean, or take a refreshing dive or snorkel in the sea.

All of these elements are thoughtfully designed by experts across the world to construct the magnificent yachts that we know and love. We encourage you to experience our favourite vessels for yourself through luxury yacht hire to appreciate the impressive design and craftsmanship. Our team is here to help you plan your dream holiday on board today.

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Channel james bond onboard iconic 190-foot superyacht skyfall.

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SKYFALL is currently for sale for an asking price of $29.5m

Superyacht SKYFALL is as iconic as the James Bond movie it shares its name with. Owned by an American real estate developer, the 190-foot motor yacht features a distinctive silhouette and a boatload of stand-out amenities including a panoramic sky lounge, a split-level owner’s cabin and a helipad that converts into a basketball court. As well as being highly appealing to owners, she’s a successful charter yacht that’s renowned for her ability to entertain.

SKYFALL was built by American luxury motor yacht builder Trinity Yachts in 2010 for the shipyard’s owner. “SKYFALL is the most exquisite superyacht ever delivered by Trinity Yachts and is a shining example of American craftsmanship and pride,” says Frank Grzeszczak Sr of FGI Yacht Group. “In a market where yachts of her size are rarely this versatile, SKYFALL stands out as a unique offering. With a Bahamas-friendly draft, aluminum construction, speeds exceeding 20 knots, a flexible seven-cabin layout—including a bi-level primary suite—and expansive lounges, SKYFALL sets herself apart from others in her class.”

The current owner bought her in 2018 from an American automobile tycoon and completed a full refit in 2020, including elegant, timeless interiors by designers Patrick Knowles and Even Marshall. Now, as the owner builds a new, larger, 270-foot yacht with an Italian shipyard, they’ve reluctantly put SKYFALL up for sale.

As SKYFALL enters the market with FGI , the owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, gives Forbes an exclusive look at life onboard the yacht and reveals his favorite experiences and spaces, as well as his top tips for superyacht ownership.

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What initially captivated you about SKYFALL?

Owner: SKYFALL is an iconic yacht. She really has the best of all worlds. She has semi displacement which means she is fast and efficient. She also has a shallow draft that allows her to get into anchorages or ports that other similar sized boats can’t even try to get into. In the Bahamas, for example, it is typical for SKYFALL to be anchored close to shore while other 60-meter (190-foot) boats are a mile or more offshore.

What are your favourite memories onboard SKYFALL?

We have had a lot of fun with family and friends on SKYFALL. The list of great memories onboard is quite long. The bridge deck outdoor dining table is where we always try to have meals unless the weather is very bad. We have had a lot of great discussions with family and friends around that table that will last a lifetime. We also like that the sundeck that has two hot tubs with plenty of space, which is where we have pre-dinner canapes every night while we watch the sun set wherever we might be.

One thing that often grabs people’s attention is the basketball goal that also is a helideck on the sundeck. We have had a lot of competitive games of basketball on sundeck, sometimes with a number of spectators watching from afar.

The top deck of SKYFALL features a basketball court, helipad, pool, hot tub and dining area

What is your favourite space onboard?

The sky lounge is group favorite. It has twin 80-inch TVs, so there isn’t a bad place in the sky lounge to view a game.

Please talk us through the owner’s cabin and how you designed it to suit your lifestyle.

The owner’s cabin on SKYFALL is exactly what we wanted on a boat. The master bed faces the bow with large windows which means we get to wake up every morning to an amazing view. The sitting area is perfect for getting a break from guests when we just need some time to ourselves. The suite also has ‘His and Hers’ separate baths and closets, which is a requirement for us. My wife and I always say that the key to a long and happy marriage is separate bathrooms and closets.

The office in the master suite is a welcome retreat for me so I can get work done privately without being disturbed, and more importantly, without waking up my wife.

A cabin onboard SKYFALL superyacht

Where are your favourite places to visit around the world?

It has always been non-negotiable for our family that we spend New Year’s together in Saint Bart’s on the boat. In early spring, she spends a few weeks in the Bahamas, and then typically we send her over to the Med for the summer season. She then comes back for a quick yard period in the fall, does the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, and then makes her way back to the Caribbean.

What makes SKYFALL such a successful charter yacht?

The feedback from charter guests has been that this is a great multi-generational boat. We have all the fun toys for kids, and lots of relaxing spaces for adults. Three generations in a family can travel together and have a great trip for different reasons. With the multitude of large beds, it is also a great boat for several couples to travel together.

Interiors are elegant and timeless

What first inspired you to become a yacht owner?

Our family had been chartering yachts for about 12 years. More and more we found ourselves wanting to spend time on the water. We had been loosely talking about buying a yacht when we started attending the annual Fort Lauderdale Boat Show. I’m not an impulse buyer, but when we found a boat that we thought would work for our lifestyle, we knew (or rather, my wife knew) that was the boat for us.

What does yacht ownership give you that villa or a hotel ownership couldn’t?

We often talk about how owning a yacht allows you to basically have a home nearly anywhere in the world. We like new places, and we like to explore, but we like to have a familiar home base to come back to at the end of a long day. A yacht gives you the advantage of being in the Med in the summer and the Caribbean in the winter sleeping in the same bed every night.

Guests can enjoy indoor and outdoor dining areas

Why have you decided to put SKYFALL on the sales market – and why now?

We are building a new boat, and it is time to let this one go. We are sad to part with her, but we hope she will find a new family that will create many new memories on her as we have.

What would be your biggest piece of advice to the next owner of SKYFALL?

Have fun with her. That’s what she is for. This boat loves to be used so if you have a destination in mind, she’s ready to go.

The decks have plenty of space for entertainment and relaxation

Want to be the new owner of SKYFALL? Here’s how

SKYFALL is currently for sale for an asking price of $29,500,000. Interested parties should contact the broker, Frank Grzeszczak Sr, Founder & President at FGI Yacht Group , who says: “Simply put, SKYFALL is the finest American superyacht available today. The price has recently been adjusted to $29,500,000, reflecting the seller's commitment to securing a fair price for this extraordinary vessel.”

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Calypso 61m Superyacht Underway in Seattle WA Ship Canal Bridge Lifts To Lake Union, Sunny Pacific Northwest

Calypso Motor Yacht, Superyacht Seattle WA Ship Canal to Lake Union Underway PNW, Mega Yacht 301 ft. / 61m, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source

Calypso 200.13ft /61m Custom motor yacht lands in Seattle in early June there usual – back again cruising the amazing Pacific Northwest. Calypso landed in Elliott Bay Marina for a short lay-up then she rounded the corner northbound to Shilshole Bay then by entering the Ballard Locks for a lift from the vast and massive Puget Sound to lift her way into the WA Ship Canal. At 61m the Calypso is a big girl while passing 25 ft. run about day boats in the canal. Next up on this early June sunny afternoon, Calypso go a Ballard Bridge lift where it’s always part of the Seattle marine traffic fun to see Alaska crab boats, seiners, draggers and processors get passed by superyachts back for annual Northwest dockage come early summer.

Calypso Motor Yacht, Superyacht Seattle WA Ship Canal, Ballard Bridge Lift passing Fishermen’s Terminal to Lake Union Underway PNW, Mega Yacht 301 ft. / 61m, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source PNW

Calypso at 301.13ft was built with Steel hull and Aluminium superstructure. Custom motor yacht Calypso is built to comply to MCA and Lloyds Register standards. Her cruising speed is 14 knots, a maximum speed of 15 knots and a range of 4,000nm from her 168,000 litre fuel tanks, she is the perfect combination of performance and luxury for full-time crew, owners and guests at the dock and underway.

Calypso Motor Yacht, Superyacht Seattle WA 301 ft. / 61m, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source, Happy Cruising!

Calypso’s interior gives proper luxury meaning state or the art, relaxation, luxury and comfort, her layout accommodates up to 12 guests in 7  state rooms with a master suite and a VIP stateroom, 4 double cabins and 1 convertible cabin. Calypso is also capable of carrying up to 16 crew onboard to make sure all guests are relaxed during their luxury yacht experience. Timeless styling, beautiful furnishings and sumptuous seating feature throughout to create an elegant and comfortable atmosphere, she’s unique, modern and beautiful for all cruising seasons wherever in the world she may be cruising.

Calypso Motor Yacht, Superyacht Seattle WA, Ballard Bridge Lift to Fremont Bridge Lift to Lake Union Underway PNW, Mega Yacht 301 ft. / 61m, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source

Calypso motor yacht amenities include: Air Conditioning, Stabilizers at Anchor, WiFi connection on board, Deck Jacuzzi, Gym, exercise equipment & more…..

CALYPSO – SUPERYACHT FEATURES:

• Master Suite Office
• Master suite ‘his and hers’ dressing rooms
• Fully equipped gymnasium enclosed by glass walls
• Sun Deck can transform into outdoor disco
• Outdoor cinema screen
• Zero-Speed stabilizers

61m Calypso’s impressive leisure and entertainment facilities for Worldwide Cruising, Superyacht Seattle WA, Ballard Bridge Lift to Fremont Bridge Lift to Lake Union Underway PNW, Mega Yacht 301 ft. / 61m, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source NW

Calypso at 61m had a fast and short stop over at Elliot Bay Marine near downtown Seattle, this is per usual for a lot of superyachts when the run uphill to the Puget Sound, the jog up the Pacific west coast can be a grind, although this time of year late spring and early summer it can be majestic and amazing especially for offshore adventures, wildlife and fishing.

CALYPSO is a 61m luxury motor super yacht available for charter, in Seattle WA Ship Canal, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source NW

After Elliot Bay Marina, Calypso makes her way eastbound in the WA Ship Canal passing fisheries such as Silver Bay Seafoods, Trident Seafoods, Ocean Beauty, Icicle Seafoods, Western Towboats and more… Calypso will then land over at Nickerson Marina in the heart of Lake Union WA, just few miles away from downtown Seattle near Queen Ann. Superyachts who enter the Ship Canal learn quickly what a diverse maritime industry and community of seasoned captains and boaters that call the Pacific Northwest home. The Pacific Northwest is home to of the world’s best boat handlers of whom have seen the some of roughest, toughest snottiest sea’s on the planet; superyacht captains humble out right-quick when then they hit our Pacific Northwest waters. PNW tides, weather and conditions can chew you up and spit you out, no matter the size of the vessel, mother nature rules in the Pacific Northwest to Alaskan waters!

Calypso, motor yacht in Seattle, Superyacht passes Trident Seafoods and Ocean Beauty to Nickerson Marina on Lake Union, Photography by: Salty Dog Boating News, Salty Dog Maritime Marketing, Superyacht Pacific Northwest to Alaska Marine Traffic Source NW – 61m Superyacht

200.13ft /61m Custom motor yacht ‘Calypso’ was built in 2003 by Amels and last refitted in 2017. Michael Leach is responsible for her beautiful exterior and interior design. Previously named Solemar, she’s back in the Pacific Northwest early summer cruising! We welcome all Superyacht to the PNW, world’s best cruising grounds!!!

CALYPSO YACHT FOR CHARTER –  200.13ft  /61m  | Amels

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10 of the best superyacht concepts from 2021

Related articles.

BOAT rounds up the biggest and best superyacht concepts released in 2021 by shipyards and designers, including Lloyd Werft, Lazzarini Design and Iddes Yachts.

This giant crab inspired 25m solar-powered catamaran concept by Lazzarini Design named Pagurus is capable of becoming amphibious thanks to retractable cylinders at the bottom of the twin steel hulls. When deployed, these lower the yacht by 60cm and allow it to 'crawl' up onto beaches. Elsewhere, the concept features accommodation for eight guests and four crew members, while power comes from dual propellers and twin diesel engines topping out at 24 knots. 

Revealed by German yard Lloyd Werft , the 115 metre explorer concept APEX boasts a massive range of 9,000 nautical miles and "rugged" exterior design, including a bow towering "almost four decks high," according to the yard. Other features include a helipad aft, with a dedicated hangar directly below, and cranes for launching the two tenders. Meanwhile, accommodation is for a total of 22 guests and 48 crew members.

Kurt Strand Design ’s superyacht concept, the 161 metre Norway , was inspired by the “powerful square sails” of Viking ships. Key features include the 96-metre-high carbon fibre Falcon rig masts and the 6000sqm of sails, wrapped in solar cell foil. Boosting the concept’s eco-focused credentials further are its hydrogen power cells which enable Norway to cruise when there is no light. The central mast conceals a “sky elevator”, which carries guests to lofty heights to enjoy impressive ocean views. 

A 78 metre superyacht concept named MM770 was revealed by Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design in collaboration with Mark Whiteley . Ready to commence construction at Dutch yard Feadship , the concept features a sun deck with a Jacuzzi and al fresco dining, cinema and 8.8-metre glass-bottomed pool on the main deck. Elsewhere, the concept features a massive 1,700GT interior and a top speed of 17 knots. 

Powered by fuel cell technology and battery banks, Meyer Group's 150m ONE 50 is described as "ultra sustainable" by the yard. Representing the yard' first foray into superyacht design, ONE 50 features six decks, a 20 metre beam and a massive interior volume of 15,000GT.

Unveiled by   Feadship at the 2021 Monaco Yacht Show, the 81.75 metre superyacht concept Pure was designed following "massive client feedback" to the Dutch yard. The result is a yacht boasting a "sculptural exterior profile and open plan interior". The yacht also emphasises that the project could be "built tomorrow with adventurous clients". 

Revealed by Tankoa, the 76 metre superyacht concept Apache features a glass-bottomed swimming pool suspended in the bow. Penned by designer Alberto Mancini , Apache is set to be built from steel and aluminium and features a choice of two propulsion options; either twin CAT or MAN diesel engines, both providing a top speed of 16.5 knots and a range of 5,000 nautical miles.

With the capacity to accommodate 22 science laboratories on board, the 300m exploration vessel Earth 300 was revealed by Iddes Yachts. The concept is large enough to host 400 people on board and is designed will unite science and exploration to confront earth’s greatest challenges", according to Iddes Yachts founder Ivan Salas Jefferson.

Featuring a "gaping hole" in its superstructure , the 69m superyacht concept Shape was unveiled by Lazzarini Design. Elsewhere, the design features a glass-bottomed pool suspended over the front deck, or “hole”. The eco-focused concept is also designed to run on entirely “clean energy”, with a hydrogen propulsion system and a solar panel on its sun deck.

The futuristic 110m superyacht concept Now , unveiled by Nicolò Piredda , features a basketball court on the foredeck and a dedicated party deck. The 4135GT interior meanwhile includes accommodation for up to 20 guests, comprising an owner’s stateroom on the private bridge deck, four VIP staterooms on the main deck and four guest cabins on the lower deck. Other features include a 75 square metre cinema and a large heli-lobby. 

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5th body recovered from Mike Lynch's family yacht off Sicily as questions mount over luxury vessel's sinking

By Anna Matranga

Updated on: August 22, 2024 / 10:48 AM EDT / CBS News

Rome — Divers recovered the body of a fifth victim of the Bayesian superyacht wreck Thursday morning, Sicily Civil Protection Chief Salvo Cocina confirmed to CBS News, and the Reuters news agency cited Italian Interior Ministry official Massimo Mariani as saying it was the body of Mike Lynch, the British tech magnate whose wife owned the vessel.

Italian Coast Guard spokesperson Vincenzo Zagarola told CBS News that teams were still working to recover the body of the sixth and final person left missing when the boat went down. The six bodies had remained stuck inside the 184-foot luxury yacht for days after it sank early Monday morning off the coast of Palermo, Sicily in a severe thunderstorm.

Four bodies were retrieved Wednesday from the Bayesian, which was resting on the seafloor at a 90 degree angle at a depth of over 160 feet. The vessel's position and items that moved around inside the ill-fated yacht made recovery efforts slow and hazardous.

Italian authorities have not officially identified the remains recovered from the Bayesian, which belonged to Lynch's wife Angela Bacares. She was among the 15 people who managed to escape from the boat as it sank quickly on Monday morning, but Lynch and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah were among those left missing.

Another victim, the Bayesian superyacht's chef, was found dead soon after the boat capsized. 

Along with Lynch and his daughter, the technology mogul's American lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda, and British banker Jonathan Bloomer and his wife, were believed to have been trapped in the yacht when it sank.

Questions as to how the state-of-the-art boat could have gone down so quickly have mounted steadily since the accident. 

Italian media were reporting Thursday that, after questioning survivors and witnesses, Italian prosecutors had opened an official investigation into a possible "culpable shipwreck." No individuals had been named as potential suspects.

On Thursday, Giovanni Costantino, head of the Italian Sea Group, which owns the company Perini Navi, which built the Bayesian in 2008, blamed human error.

"A Perini ship resisted Hurricane Katrina, a Category 5 [hurricane]. Does it seem to you that it can't resist a tornado from here?" he remarked to the newspaper Corriere della Sera. "It is good practice when the ship is at anchor to have a guard on the bridge, and if there was one he could not have failed to see the storm coming. Instead, it took on water with the guests still in the cabin. ... They ended up in a trap, those poor people ended up like mice."

One possible factor could have been that the ship's keel — a fin-like structure that sticks out from the bottom of the boat, designed to provide stability and counterweight to the huge mast — was not fully deployed. The yacht had a retractable keel that could be raised for entry into shallow harbors. But a raised keel at sea would have made the ship much more vulnerable to instability in the strong winds that struck early Monday morning.

When asked whether divers had seen the ship's keel in a raised position, a spokesman for the Italian Coast Guard told CBS News that only the prosecutor investigating the incident could confirm such information but that the Coast Guard "was not denying" it. 

The ship's captain, 51-year-old New Zealand national James Cutfileld, was questioned for two hours by prosecutors on Thursday, according to Italian media.

More from CBS News

HP pursues suit against tech mogul who died when his yacht sank

Ukraine says 3 hurt as dozens of Russian missiles, drones target Kyiv

Father of captive says deaths of 6 Israeli hostages "never had to happen"

Norwegian princess weds self-styled shaman in star-studded ceremony

Captain and crew ‘formed human chain’ in attempt to save passengers on Bayesian

T he captain and crew on Mike Lynch’s superyacht formed a “human chain” in an attempt to save those on board, Italian media has reported.

Captain James Cutfield was one of 22 people on board the Bayesian when it was hit by a violent storm and sank off the coast of Sicily on Aug 19, killing seven people.

Mike Lynch, 59, the British tech entrepreneur, and his daughter Hannah, 18, were among those who lost their lives.

The 51-year-old New Zealand captain is one of three crew members under investigation – alongside British sailor Matthew Griffiths , 22, and British engineer Tim Parker Eaton, 56 – into what caused the yacht to sink in only 16 minutes and whether they did enough to alert passengers and crew.

With him were other crew members, including Mr Griffiths and Mr Parker Eaton, both of whom are under investigation with the captain for multiple manslaughter and causing a shipwreck.

Mr Griffiths told investigators the captain had worked to help the passengers and crew to survive .

“We somehow got back up on the bridge and tried to make a human chain to rescue those who could get to the opening from the accommodation deck... they were walking up the walls because the boat was lying in the water,” Griffiths told prosecutors, according to Corriere della Sera, the Italian newspaper.

“The first one in the chain was the captain who reached down. He helped everybody, the women, the mum with the little girl... But we were sinking and unfortunately some didn’t make it.”

Mr Griffiths previously told investigators of the desperate scramble to save those on board. He told prosecutors that he “woke the captain up when the wind was blowing 20 knots”, according to the Italian news agency, ANSA.

“He ordered me to wake everyone else up,” Griffiths reportedly told prosecutors. I then stored away the pillows and plants, closed the windows of the sitting room on the bow and some hatches.”

In a dramatic account of what happened on the night of the tragedy, Mr Griffiths told investigators when the storm hit, the ship “tilted and we fell into the water”.

“We saved who we could, Cutfield [also] rescued the little girl and her mother,” he said, referring to British passenger Charlotte Golunski – who desperately fought to save her one-year-old daughter in the darkness before they were rescued.

Fifteen crew members and passengers, including Mr Lynch’s wife, survived the sinking.

Mr Cutfield reportedly broke down in tears when he was questioned by prosecutors last week. He also invoked his legal right to remain silent during formal questioning while his lawyers prepare their defence. 

Mr Cutfield flew out of Sicily last week and is believed to have returned to Majorca, where he lives with his wife.

Chief prosecutor, Ambrogio Cartosio, said the investigation is looking into multiple manslaughter and causing a shipwreck through negligence.

Under the Italian legal system, being placed under investigation does not imply guilt and does not necessarily mean that charges will be made.

ANSA reported that the defence attorneys of Mr Parker Eaton and Mr Griffiths could request technical consultancies to determine whether the yacht had some type of malfunction or was subjected to a violent and unpredictable weather event.

Investigators have said the storm that hit the Bayesian at about 4am local time on Aug 19 was “an extreme event” that happened “really, really suddenly”. 

They are scrutinising whether any hatches were left open and whether the keel was partially raised, which would have rendered the yacht less stable.

Autopsies on the seven victims are expected to begin on Monday at an institute of forensic medicine in Palermo.

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What to Know About Ukraine’s Cross-Border Assault Into Russia

The incursion caught Russia by surprise and signified a shift in tactics for Kyiv after more than two years of war with Russia.

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By Andrew E. Kramer Constant Méheut Kim Barker Anton Troianovski and Cassandra Vinograd

Ukraine pressed ahead with its offensive inside Russian territory on Sunday , pushing toward more villages and towns nearly two weeks into the first significant foreign incursion in Russia since World War II.

But even as the Ukrainian army was advancing in Russia’s western Kursk region, its troops were steadily losing ground on their own territory. The Russian military is now about eight miles from the town of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, according to open-source battlefield maps . The capture of Pokrovsk, a Ukrainian stronghold, would bring Moscow one step closer to its long-held goal of capturing the entire Donetsk region.

That underscored the gamble Ukraine’s army took when it crossed into Russia: throwing its forces into a daring offensive that risked weakening its own positions on the eastern front.

Whether that strategy will prove advantageous remains to be seen, analysts say.

On the political front, the offensive has already had some success: Ukraine’s rapid advance has embarrassed the Kremlin and has altered the narrative of a war in which Kyiv’s forces had been on the back foot for months.

Here’s what to know about Ukraine’s cross-border operation, which President Biden said last week was creating a “real dilemma” for the Russian government.

What happened?

Ukrainian troops and armored vehicles stormed into the Kursk region of western Russia on Aug. 6 , swiftly pushing through Russian defenses and capturing several villages.

Held by Ukraine

as of Aug. 13

Sverdlikovo

Sievierodonetsk

Area controlled

Zaporizhzhia

Sea of Azov

Ukrainian incursion

Source: Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project

By Veronica Penney

The assault, prepared in the utmost secrecy , opened a new front in the 30-month war and caught not only Russia off guard: Some Ukrainian soldiers and U.S. officials also said they lacked advance notice.

Analysts and Western officials estimate that Ukraine deployed about 1,000 troops at the start of the incursion. But military analysts say that it has since poured more troops into the operation to try to hold and expand its positions.

How far into Russia have Ukrainian troops advanced?

Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s top commander, said last week that his army now controlled more than 80 Russian settlements in the Kursk region, including Sudzha , a town of 6,000 residents. His claims could not be independently verified, although analysts say that Sudzha is highly likely to be under full Ukrainian control.

Ukraine’s advance in the Kursk region has slowed in recent days, according to open-source maps of the battlefield based on combat footage and satellite images, as Russia sends in more reinforcements. The Ukrainian army appears to be trying to dig in along the border area rather than pushing deeper into Russia.

President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine acknowledged that on Saturday, saying : “Now we are reinforcing our positions. The foothold of our presence is getting stronger.”

Why is this significant?

Kyiv has regularly bombarded Russian oil refineries and airfields with drones since Moscow’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022. It has also helped stage two other ground attacks in Russia. Those, however, were smaller forays by Russian exile groups backed by the Ukrainian army, and they ended in quick retreats.

Until two weeks ago, Ukrainian forces had not counterattacked in Russia. The gains in Kursk are the quickest for Ukrainian forces since they reclaimed the Kherson region of their own country in November 2022.

How has the Kremlin responded?

As Ukrainian forces pushed deeper into Russia, Moscow scrambled to shore up its defenses, and President Vladimir V. Putin convened his security services to coordinate a response. The Russian military said it was sending more troops and armored vehicles to try to repel the attack, with Russian television broadcasting images of columns of military trucks.

Military analysts and U.S. officials have said the Russian command had so far brought in reinforcements mainly from within Russia so as to not deplete its units on the Ukrainian battlefield, in what they described as a disorganized effort.

“Russia is still pulling together its reaction,” Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, NATO’s top military commander, said last week during a talk at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York. He described the Russian response as having been “fairly slow and scattered” as the authorities sorted out which military and security forces should take the lead.

And what about Putin?

The incursion has embarrassed Mr. Putin and his military establishment, prompting questions about Russia’s level of preparedness .

Underscoring how the attack rattled the Kremlin, Mr. Putin lashed out last week at the West in a tense televised meeting with his top officials. “The West is fighting us with the hands of the Ukrainians,” he said, repeating his frequent depiction of the war, which he started, as a proxy campaign against Russia by the West.

Ukraine’s incursion has brought the war into Russia like it never has before, and tens of thousands of civilians have evacuated the border area.

What is the goal of Ukraine’s incursion?

Analysts say that Ukraine’s offensive has two main aims : to draw Russian forces from the front lines in eastern Ukraine and to seize territory that could serve as a bargaining chip in future peace talks.

Mykhailo Podolyak, a top Ukrainian presidential adviser, said last week that Russia would be forced to the negotiating table only through suffering “significant tactical defeats.”

“In the Kursk region, we can clearly see how the military tool is being used objectively to persuade” Russia to enter “a fair negotiation process,” he wrote on social media .

The operation has offered a much-needed morale boost for Ukrainians, whose forces have been losing ground to Russian troops for months.

But military analysts have questioned whether Kyiv’s cross-border assault is worth the risk, given that Ukrainian forces are already stretched on the front lines of their own country.

How is it affecting the fight inside Ukraine?

Russian forces have been pummeling Ukrainian troops in the east even as Moscow races to respond to the incursion into Kursk , according to analysts, Western officials and Ukrainian soldiers.

Russia has begun to withdraw small numbers of troops from Ukraine, they said, to try to help repel the Ukrainians, but not enough to significantly affect the overall battlefield for now.

Senior American officials have said privately that they understood Kyiv’s need to change the narrative of the war, but that they were skeptical that Ukraine could hold the territory long enough to force Russia to divert significant resources from the front lines in eastern and southern Ukraine.

While Kyiv’s allies have in the past been wary that Ukrainian incursions in Russia could escalate the war, the European Union’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell Fontelles, said last week that Ukraine had the bloc’s “ full support .”

Ukraine has used some Western-supplied weapons in the Kursk operation. But so far, the United States and Britain, two of Kyiv’s closes allies, have said the incursion did not violate their policies.”

What happens next?

As the Ukrainian offensive approaches its two-week mark, analysts say that Kyiv has several options, each with its own challenges.

Ukrainian forces could try to keep pushing farther into Russia, but that will become harder as Russian reinforcements arrive and Ukraine’s supply lines are stretched.

They could keep digging into the territory they now hold and try to defend it, but that could expose fixed Ukrainian positions to potentially devastating Russian airstrikes.

Or, battered by continual losses in eastern Ukraine, they could decide that they have made their point and pull back.

Thibault Fouillet, the deputy director of the Institute for Strategic and Defense Studies, a French research center, said Ukraine’s next move would depend on how Russia responds. “The coming week will be decisive,” he said.

Eric Schmitt contributed reporting.

Andrew E. Kramer is the Kyiv bureau chief for The Times, who has been covering the war in Ukraine since 2014. More about Andrew E. Kramer

Constant Méheut reports on the war in Ukraine, including battlefield developments, attacks on civilian centers and how the war is affecting its people. More about Constant Méheut

Kim Barker is a Times reporter writing in-depth stories about national issues. More about Kim Barker

Anton Troianovski is the Moscow bureau chief for The Times. He writes about Russia, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia. More about Anton Troianovski

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St David (ex: Xanadu)

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ST DAVID YACHT CHARTER

60m  /  196'10   benetti   2008 / 2019.

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Cabin Configuration

• 5 Double/Twin

Special Features:

• Split-level Master Suite Offers Panoramic Views
• Baroque Style with Mosaic Floors
• Outdoor Cinema & Private Nightclub
• Spa & Massage Facilities
• Flexible Accommodation

St David offers guests ample areas to unwind and kick back, as well as 4 generous suites, perfect for relaxing yacht charters

The 60m/196'10" 'St David' (ex. Xanadu) motor yacht built by the Italian shipyard Benetti is available for charter for up to 12 guests in 6 cabins. This yacht features interior styling by British designer Winch Design.

Built in 2008, St David boasts a multitude of decks ideal for relaxation and entertainment indoors or outdoors, ensuring guests will live la dolce vita on the open waters. She is equipped with a dancefloor, spa and gym.

Guest Accommodation

St David offers guest accommodation for up to 12 guests in 6 suites comprising a master suite and five cabins that can operate as twins or doubles. The bed configuration includes 1 king, 1 queen and 4 doubles. She is also capable of carrying up to 14 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht charter experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

You and your guests can enjoy a variety of experiences on St David such as a dancefloor where you and your guests can celebrate in style. Take the opportunity to be thoroughly pampered and indulged in the spa plus a gym with all the latest equipment is available for a good work out. Soak up the bubbles in style in the deck jacuzzi.

Whatever your activities on your charter, you'll find some impressive features are seamlessly integrated to help you such as Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to stay connected at all times, should you wish. Guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin Caterpillar engines, she comfortably cruises at 13 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 17 knots with a range of up to 5,500 nautical miles from her 116,000 litre fuel tanks at 12 knots. An advanced stabilisation system on board reduces the side-to-side roll of the yacht and promises guests exceptional comfort levels at anchor or when underway.

When not cruising St David has onboard an incredible selection of water toys and accessories for you and your guests to connect with the waters around you. Guests can feel the wind in their hair and jump the waves on a Yamaha GP 1300 WaveRunner. Another excellent feature are waterskis that are hugely entertaining whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro. In addition there are two Cayago F7 SEABOBs, that allow you to skim along the surface or steer under the crystal water and experience life swimming with the fish. If that isn't enough St David also features wakeboards, kayaks, fishing equipment, scuba diving equipment and inflatable water toys. St David features two tenders, but leading the pack is a 7.5m/24'7" Tresco Limo Tender to transport you in style.

St David and her crew are available for charter this summer for cruising within the Mediterranean. She is already accepting bookings this winter for cruising in Bermuda and the Caribbean.

Experience the magical places, food and experiences of the Mediterranean this summer from the luxury of your own motor yacht. St David, her captain and talented crew are ready to make sure that your yachting experience is like nothing else.

TESTIMONIALS

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St David Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment St David has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

St David is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 1 x 7.5m  /  24'7 Tresco Custom Limo Tender Volvo and Rolls Royce 300 HP engine
• 1 x 4.7m  /  15'5 Ribline Custom RIB

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

St David Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2009 Best Displacement Motor Yacht of 500GT to 1,299GT (approximately 50m – 59m) Finalist
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For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

APPROVED RYA WATER SPORTS CENTRE

Your family and friends could learn to use the water toys on your charter vacation onboard this luxury charter yacht. Motor Yacht St David is a certified RYA Training Centre yacht.

'St David' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€325,000 p/week + expenses Approx $361,000

High Season

€345,000 p/week + expenses Approx $383,500

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Montenegro

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Corsica, French Riviera, Mykonos, Sardinia

Winter Season

October - April

$325,000 p/week + expenses

$345,000 p/week + expenses

Bermuda Caribbean Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, Saint Martin, St Barts Central America Costa Rica

HOT SPOTS:   Virgin Islands

Charter St David

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker or

On Board Review

After spending time on board the 60m/197ft superyacht ‘St David’ at the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, YachtCharterFleet finds out if she fulfils her ambitious brief to be the perfect charter yacht.

Whatever the occasion, St DAVID offers the ultimate in luxury escapism

Read Review

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Ukraine Pushing Slowly West In Russia Towards Key Kursk City

Though the rapid momentum of the early days of its Kursk invasion has slowed considerably after 25 days, Ukraine is still on the offensive in several areas there. One of the big efforts is a push toward the city of Glushkovo.

Ukrainian forces are less than seven miles from that city, according to the latest map from DeepState , a Ukrainian open-source intelligence organization that has proven reliable in the past. Glushkovo is the last main bastion of defense for an estimated 3,000 troops trapped south of the Seim River, which runs through Glushkovo.

“The situation in the Glushkovo district remains difficult,” the Kremlin-connected Rybar Telegram channel stated Saturday . “Ukrainian formations continue to strike at the defensive lines and supply routes of the Russian Armed Forces, and are also preparing for a possible offensive in the area.”

Ukraine can either attack the city directly or try to cut it off and bypass it from the south.

As part of that effort, Ukraine has continued its whack-a-mole approach toward the pontoon bridges Russia is building to temporarily replace the spans destroyed by Ukraine . The video below shows a strike by an M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS on one such ad hoc crossing.

Bridging equipment has also been a big target for Ukraine, as you can see in the column of destroyed support vehicles in the video below. It ends with a view of another destroyed pontoon bridge.

The Ukrainian Air Force released a video showing crews loading Joint Direct Attack Munition-Extended Range precision-guided bombs, or JDAM-ERs onto a MiG-29 Fulcrum . The video ends with scenes of the munitions flowing up portions of bridges over the Seim River. JDAM-ER and French HAMMER guided bombs, both with a range of dozens of miles, have been key to severing Russia’s established river crossings

Ukraine is trying to push elsewhere in Kursk as well, attacking near the city of Korenevo, which is on the northern edge of territory controlled by Ukraine, according to DeepState.

In the southernmost area of the salient, Ukrainian forces are pushing east of Borki, the DeepState map shows. There is also a five-mile deep “grey zone” over much of the northwestern and western parts of the salient, where fighting continues and no one has gained control.

Russian troops are “wiping” the Ukrainian-captured town of Sudzha “off the face of the earth,” Oleksandr Pavliuk, commander of Ukraine’s Ground Forces, said on Aug. 31, according to the Kyiv Independent .

Russia is regularly shelling Sudzha and attacking it with guided aerial bombs and kamikaze drones according to Pavliuk.

For the 25th day in a row, the Russian Defense Ministry (MoD) said it is repelling the invasion.

“The units of the Sever Group of Forces supported by Army Aviation and artillery have repelled six attacks launched by enemy assault detachments in the direction of Borki, Bakhtinka, Komarovka, Malaya Loknya, and Matveyevka,” the MoD claimed on Telegram . “In addition, attempts by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch attacks in the direction of Korenevo and Malaya Loknya have been foiled.”

Ukrainian officials offered no specifics about the situation in Kursk today. In his evening address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his forces “continue to replenish the exchange fund for Ukraine and push the war into Russian territory. The resilience of each of our units, the precision of our warriors and the strong decisions of our partners are equally crucial. I thank all our combat brigades!”

On Friday, Col.-Gen. Oleksandr Syrskiy, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, said his troops have advanced more than another square mile and have established control of an additional three square miles of territory.

The 80th Separate Mechanized Brigade said it captured seven Russian tanks in Kursk. That includes one T-90M, four T-80 BVMs, and two T-72s. Some of these tanks are nearly new, having just come off the assembly line, while others require repairs.

In his first reaction to Ukraine’s invasion of Russia, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg told German weekly Welt am Sonntag that it is legitimate and covered by Kyiv’s right to self-defense.

“Ukraine has a right to defend itself. And according to international law, this right does not stop at the border,” Stoltenberg told the paper, adding that NATO had not been informed about Ukraine’s plans beforehand and did not play a role in them.

Whether Ukraine can continue its push toward Glushkovo amid the many other challenges it faces, including the looming Russian capture of the key Donetsk Oblast city of Pokrovsk, remains to be seen. They’ve gained very little ground in that direction over the past several days. However, there appears to be no immediate end in sight for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Kursk operation.

Russia continues to push closer to Pokrovsk, an important Ukrainian logistics hub . They are now about seven miles from the city, according to the latest DeepState map.

The largest amount of fighting continues to take place around that city, the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff said on Facebook .

“Since the beginning of the day, the occupiers have already made 23 attempts to defeat our defenders from occupied positions in the areas of seven different settlements. The most fighting, almost half, passed near Novogrodivka.”

Ukraine’s efforts to defend the embattled city of Pokrovsk suffered because of decisions to attack Russian forces rather than build defenses, a volunteer with Ukraine’s 24th Separate Assault Battalion claimed. One main fault in that strategy is that Russia had huge reserves to bring to the fight.

“In the Pokrovsky direction, the reserves of enemy infantry exceed the reserves in the Bakhmutsky direction during active offensive operations in the winter of 2023,” Stanislav Bunyatov said on Telegram .

“As you can see, the Russians have no limits, the biggest mistake was to bet on the destruction of as many Russian infantry as possible and to neglect the development of defensive fortifications,” added Stanislav, who uses the call sign Osman.

Still, this is hardly a cakewalk for Russians, who are suffering a large amount of casualties and equipment losses in this fight,

The remaining residents of that city are under orders to evacuate, with many carrying belongings and leaving by train.

Yesterday we told you that Zelensky fired his Air Force commander in the wake of the loss of an F-16 and its revered pilot, Oleksiy Mes, call sign Moonfish. Before Lt. Gen. Mykola Oleschuk was dismissed, there were claims that Moonfish was shot down by a Patriot air defense battery . While Zelensky didn’t say why he made the change, there are new indications the friendly fire claim could be accurate.

“A Western official who has been briefed on the preliminary investigation of the crash said that there were ‘indications’ that friendly fire from a Patriot missile battery might have brought down the jet, though mechanical failure and pilot error have not been ruled out,” The New York Times reported on Saturday.

A joint effort by two media organizations that developed a unique method of tabulating Russian troop deaths in Ukraine has released a new tally.

The latest report compiled by the independent Russian Mediazona outlet and the BBC News Russian service states that at least 66,000 Russian soldiers have been killed during the fighting. Working with a team of volunteers, the news outlets “maintain a named list of deceased Russian military personnel. This list is compiled from verified, publicly available sources, including social media posts by family members, local news reports, and official announcements from regional authorities.”

The death toll to date is probably much higher, the outlets acknowledge because it is based only on verifiable deaths. Other tabulations, which are estimates, say nearly twice as many Russian troops have been killed.

“This list is not exhaustive, as not every military death becomes public knowledge,” according to the report.

Getting verifiable casualty numbers in this conflict is difficult. For instance, in August 2023, The New York Times reported Russia’s military casualties were approaching 300,000.

“The number includes as many as 120,000 deaths and 170,000 to 180,000 injured troops,” the publication reported, citing U.S. officials. “The Russian numbers dwarf the Ukrainian figures which the officials put at close to 70,000 killed and 100,000 to 120,000 wounded.”

There has been a lot more combat over the past year, with mounting Russian casualties, especially in Donetsk Oblast, so U.S. estimates have likely climbed far higher.

In an interview with CNN , Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said the Biden administration is still considering his request to lift restrictions on Ukraine using long-range weapons to strike deeper inside Russian territory. He confirmed he’d presented a list of targets in meetings with senior officials in Washington on Friday.

“We have explained what kind of capabilities we need to protect the citizens against the Russian terror that Russians are causing us, so I hope we were heard,” Umerov said in an interview with CNN ’s Alex Marquardt on “ The Situation Room .”

Despite repeated requests from Zelensky, the US is not currently expected to loosen restrictions on Ukraine’s use of U.S.-produced Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) short-range ballistic missiles.

“You’ve heard us say that the Ukrainians can use U.S. security assistance to defend themselves from cross-border attacks, in other words counterfire. But as it relates to long-range strike, deep strikes into Russia, our policy has not changed,” said Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s top spokesman, told reporters on Tuesday.

The Biden administration nixed an appeal by the military to have American contractors work in Ukraine maintaining Western-donated war equipment – including F-16 Vipers , The Wall Street Journal reported .

The proposal was shot down over safety concerns, the publication reported, citing U.S. officials.

“The debate over sending American civilians to a country battling Russian forces to help maintain Western equipment has been ongoing since the early days of the war, but has recently become more critical with the long-awaited arrival of F-16s in Ukraine,” the Journal noted.

The first six of a promised 80 Vipers arrived in Ukraine at the end of July, one of which is now destroyed.

The National Security Council “looked at the proposal for sending civilian contractors into Ukraine to maintain F-16 jet fighters and other military weaponry, but the intelligence community and others deemed it too risky for now,” the Journ al stated, citing “officials familiar with the discussion.” Instead, “the hope is that European countries will take on more—and perhaps all—of the responsibility for maintaining the F-16s.”

Germany announced its latest tranche of military aid for Ukraine .

It includes one IRIS-T SLS air defense system , 26 “Vector” reconnaissance drones, one Bergepanzer 2 recovery vehicle, six engineer excavators, 14,000 rounds of 155mm ammunition, and 10 uncrewed surface vessels, among other items.

Switzerland is rethinking its 500-year-old policy of neutrality over concerns about Russian aggression in Europe and the loss of revenue from arms sales, Politico reports , citing a major new Swiss study.

“Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, neutrality has once again become the subject of political debate, both at home and abroad. Pressure on Switzerland to clarify its position is growing,” according to the report , which calls for a “revision” of its neutrality policy.

Threats from Russia have changed Europe’s security landscape, causing Switzerland to consider deeper military ties with alliances like NATO and the European Union. Beyond that, the nation’s policy of banning arms sales to war zones has an increasingly negative financial impact.

Switzerland’s arms exports fell last year by 27 % to less than 700 million Swiss francs ($823 million) compared to 2022 — due both to strict arms export provisions and to the one-off effect of Qatar ending air defense systems purchases tied to its hosting of the 2022 World Cup, according to Politico .

As we noted in a previous report about German-made Gepard self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (SPAAGs ), there is a significant question about sourcing ammunition for their Swiss-made 35mm cannons. Bern, which has significant stocks of shells for them, has repeatedly refused to allow the re-export of 35mm rounds from various countries to Ukraine citing a policy of neutrality in regard to the conflict. This has become such an issue that the German government announced in February 2023 that it had signed a deal with domestic defense contractor Rheinmetall to restart production of 35mm ammunition.

Days after Russia launched its largest aerial barrage of the war, they bombed Kharkiv City, hitting a residential building and a playground on Friday. The attack killed seven people and injured at least 77 more, local authorities said, according to Reuters . Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensk said a 14-year-old girl was among the dead.

The terrifying power of a Russian missile, most likely an Iskander, is seen in the video below. It shows the munition strike a building in Kryvyi Rih, Zelensky’s hometown, and the ensuing eruption of flames and billows of gray-black smoke. The attack injured at least five people, Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Serhiy Lysak said on Telegram .

Meanwhile, Russia’s Belgorod Oblast, which borders Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, came under fire once again , said its regional governor.

At least five people were killed, many more were injured and several buildings were damaged by a Ukrainian RM-70 Vampire MLR S barrage on the Russian city of Belgorod and elsewhere in the oblast, Vyacheslav Gladkov claimed on Telegram .

“One woman and four men died on the spot from their injuries before the ambulance arrived,” he said. “I express my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims, although I understand that no words can console in such grief.”

In addition, “37 civilians were injured, including six children,” he added. “Seven adults and three children are in serious condition. All victims were taken to medical institutions in Belgorod. All necessary assistance is being provided.”

You can see what Gladkov claimed was one of those rockets striking a Belgorod roadway, hitting a vehicle, and setting it ablaze. Other motorists swerved out of the way to avoid damage.

Two oil facilities in Russia attacked by Ukrainian drones are still burning.

The Atlas fuel depot in the Kamensky district of Rostov Oblast is still in flames four days after being attacked .

Elsewhere in Rostov Oblast, the Proletarsk fuel facility continues to burn 13 days after being attacked .

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said he will never order the Belarusian military to engage in battles outside the country. His statement came as he has troops and equipment amassed along the border with Ukraine.

“There have not been and will not be any orders to go outside our country. We will only go to war when they come to us with bad intentions,” he said, according to the official Belarusian BelTA news agency . Lukashenko made the statement when speaking about the Ukrainian crisis.

“What I read makes me feel bad,” he explained. “These reviews of the world’s news media: ‘Lukashenko this, Lukashenko that. If he gives an order, they will go in there.”

Russia keeps sending one-way attack drones against Ukrainian cities and power infrastructure and the Ukrainian Air Force says most are swatted down.

You can watch the pilot of a MiG-29 Fulcrum take out a drone with an infrared-guided R-73 (AA-11 Archer) short-range air-to-air missile in the following video.

The video below shows the interception of one such drone by an air defense munition. Its type cannot be definitively ascertained.

Seeking cover from an enemy attack has become vastly more difficult in the age of first-person view (FPV) drones. In the following video, a Russian soldier tried to seek shelter from an approaching drone by running into a building and ducking around a corner. That didn’t help him, because the drone followed him to his hiding place and exploded.

In addition to hunting down and striking enemy vehicles and troops, FPV drones proliferating the battlefield also create a suppressive effect. As you can see and hear in the next video, the chilling high-pitched whine of an FPV drone keeps this soldier head down seeking cover.

Bracing for another attack , Russia installed Pantsir-S1 air defense systems near the Kerch Bridge. Ukrainian officials have oft stated their intention of destroying Vladimir Putin’s prized $4 billion span linking Russia with the Crimean peninsula it occupies.

“It’s not a question of will we strike or won’t we strike,” Lt. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told us in an exclusive interview last fall. “We’re doing that regularly so we will finish it. It’s just an issue of time.”

Asked what Putin would do if that happened, Budanov flashed his dark humor.

“He’ll get upset once again,” Budanov said. “What can he do?”

Ukraine may be planning a counterattack in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Kremlin-connected Rybar Telegram channel suggested.

“This time we decided to clearly analyze what the new plan of the Ukrainian command might be: unlike last year’s attempt at an offensive, the enemy is preparing for a possible attack in the west of the region – there, after taking Vasilyevka , the Ukrainian Armed Forces will have the opportunity to advance both towards Zaporizhzhya NPP and Tokmak,” Rybar posited.

“As we have already noted, the Ukrainian command’s plans are indicated by the increased satellite photography of Russian Armed Forces facilities and the simultaneous concentration of forces in the direction of Primorskoye” Ryber continued. “According to various estimates, up to four brigades could have accumulated there at the moment – they could be the ones to be used as the strike force.”

While it is unknown when and where Ukraine might put this plan into action, Rybar said it “has not abandoned the offensive on this section of the front, even despite the worsening operational crisis of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Pokrovsk , Aleksandro – Kalinovsk , and Yuzhno-Donetsk directions.

Ukrainian forces captured a rare Russian Merlin-VR reconnaissance drone. Introduced in 2021, the drone can fly up to 16,000 feet . This is only the second reported loss of this type of drone, according to the Oryx open-source tracking group . However, that figure could be higher because Oryx only tabulates losses for which it has visual confirmation.

Former Russian Deputy Defense Minister Pavel Popov was detained Thursday in connection with a fraud case, according to The Associated Press , He is the latest high-profile arrest in what appears to be a sweeping investigation into abuse of office in Russia’s military leadership.

Popov faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted, the AP reported, citing Russian news outlets. He was ordered held until at least Oct. 29.

The case against Popov relates to business activities at a sprawling park in Moscow sometimes called Russia’s “military Disneyland.”

“Patriot Park, a pet project of former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, is designed to inspire national pride in younger generations and showcases Soviet and Russian weaponry,” the AP reported. “It has a firing range, air base, museums and conference center and a massive, khaki-colored Cathedral of the Russian Armed Forces, which features mosaics of Soviet and Russian soldiers. President Vladimir Putin personally donated money to commission the main icon for the church, according to the Kremlin.”

The FSB said it had detained two Colombian citizens for fighting on Ukraine’s side, Politico reported . It was the first such case made public since the beginning of the Kremlin’s full-scale invasion.

“The extradition and arrest is likely designed to spook other foreigners who might consider joining Ukraine’s armed forces, as well as underscoring Russia’s alliance with countries such as strongman leader Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuela,” the publication wrote.

The two men, Alexander Ante and José Aron Medina, joined a foreign legion in Ukraine in the summer of 2023, local Colombian and other Spanish-language media reported .

And finally, Russia dropped its newest recruiting video. It’s a glitzy effort aimed at convincing ice cream-slurping, tattoo-clad, fingernail-painted young men to give up their lives of luxury to join the military and fight in Ukraine.

That’s it for now.

Contact the author: [email protected]

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Rusmania • Deep into Russia

History of Kursk

11th century, first mention.

Although archaeological evidence suggests that there was a large settlement in the location of Kursk before the 8th Century, Kursk was first mentioned in 1032 in the Hagiography of St Theodosius (Feodosi) of the Kiev-Caves, who grew up in Kursk which was by then already a large, developed and important city. In approximately 1095 Izyaslav Vladimirovich, a son of Vladimir Monomakh, became the first prince of Kursk although he only ruled there for a year as shortly afterwards he was elevated to prince of Murom. However Prince Izyalslav had enough time to build a fortress in Kursk, making the settlement one of the strongest on the borders of Kievan Rus.

12th Century

Princes of kursk.

As only a minor principality, the Kursk Principality did not always have its own prince and never had its own dynasty of Ryurikid princes. The principality often passed between the various factions of Ryurikid princes during this period of time when internecine wars were common. In 1127 Vsevolod Olgovich took Chernigov from his uncle. To stop Mstislav the Great interfering in this conflict Vsevolod gave him Kursk and the surrounding lands. In turn Mstislav the Great made his son Izyaslav prince of Kursk. Izyaslav Mstislavich ruled as prince of Kursk until 1130 when he became prince of Polotsk. The Olgovichy princes were able to regain Kursk in 1136 : Gleb Olgovich ruled Kursk up to his death in the city in 1138 and was followed by his younger brother Svyatoslav Olgovich who ruled in Kursk until 1139 when he returned to be prince of Novgorod. In 1146 Svyatoslav Olgovich became prince of Novgorod-Seversky, which included Kursk. Svyatoslav gave Kursk to Ivan Yurievich, son of his ally Yuri Dolgoruky. Ivan Yurievich died in 1147 and Svyatoslav gave the principality to Ivan's younger brother Gleb who ruled in Kursk until 1148 .

Tale of Prince Igor's Campaign

In 1161 Kursk once again had its own prince - Oleg Svyatoslavich, son of Svyatoslav Olgovich. Oleg ruled in Kursk until 1164 when he became prince of Novgorod-Seversky. Oleg's brother Vsevolod succeeded him in Kursk. Vsevolod Svyatoslavich was known as Vsevolod Bui-Tur, meaning something along the lines of Mighty Bull. As his sobriquet suggests he was known for his bravery in dealing with the Cumans (Polovtsians). In 1185 Prince Igor of Novgorod-Seversky led an unsuccessful campaign against the Cumans which is the subject of the famous 12th-century Tale of Prince Igor's Campaign. Prince Vsevolod Bui-Tur accompanied his brother on the campaign and also features as one of the heroes in the tale. Vsevolod Bui-Tur remained prince of Kursk until his death in 1196 .

13th Century

Mongol-tatar invasion of rus.

After Vsevolod Bui-Tur's death in 1196 , it is unclear who became prince of Kiev. It is possible that he was succeeded by his nephew Prince Svyatoslav Olgovich of Rylsk. In 1223 a Prince Oleg of Kursk participated in the Battle of River Kalka against the Mongols, Prince Oleg was a descendent of Prince Oleg Svyatoslavich of Novgorod-Seversky, possibly the son of Prince Svyatoslav Olgovich of Rylsk. After Prince Oleg, information on the princes of Kursk is unclear. In any case the principality came to an end in 1238 when Kursk was destroyed during the Mongol-Tatar Invasion of Rus. Later Kursk was once again devastated by Mongol-Tatar forces in response to the citizens of Kursk rising up against the Mongol representative there.

14th and 15th Centuries

The Mongol-Tatar Invasion significantly weakened Russian territories and Grand Duke Algirdas of Lithuania took advantage of this situation. In the 1350s Algirdas managed to capture the Chernigov and Novgorod-Seversky lands, including Kursk, and incorporated them into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Kursk would remain part of Lithuania up until the beginning of the 16th century. In 1402 Kursk is mentioned as a Lithuanian city in an agreement between Lithuania and the Teutonic Order. Throughout the 15th century the city was raided by Crimean Tatars and the Nogais.

16th Century

Russian-lithuanian wars.

The Russian-Lithuanian War of 1500 - 1503 was very successful for Russia which gained control of one-third of Lithuanian territory, including Kursk. After the Russian-Lithuanian War of 1507 - 1508 a peace treaty was signed between Russia and Lithuania under which Grand Duke Sigismund I the Old of Lithuania recognised the territory won by Grand Prince Ivan III of Rus during the 1500 - 1503 war as territory of Russia. In 1597 Tsar Fyodor I had a new fortress constructed in Kursk to protect it from Crimean Tatar raids.

17th Century

Znamensky monastery.

Kursk was one of the first cities to declare its support of the First False Dmitri in 1604 . When Dmitri was in Kursk he demanded the Our Lady of the Kursk Root Icon be brought to him and later he took it with him to Moscow. In 1612 Polish interventionists began besieging the Kursk fortress. The defenders refused to surrender even though the situation looked hopeless. Legend has it they made an oath to build a monastery should the Virgin Mary protect them. Several weeks later the siege was lifted and the fortress did not fall. The defenders immediately began to fulfil their oath and built a wooden church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary. In approximately 1615 , Tsar Michael returned the Our Lady of the Kursk Root Icon to the nearby Korennaya Hermitage and in 1618 the icon was transferred to a newly established monastery in Kursk. It remained in Kursk thereafter only returning to the Korennaya Hermitage on annual religious processions. In 1649 on the orders of Tsar Michael a new  stone cathedral was built especially to house the icon and from this point onwards the monastery became known as the Znamensky monastery.

18th Century

Administrative reform.

In 1708 Kursk became part of the Kiev Governorate and in 1727 part of the Belgorod Governorate. In 1779 it was elevated to the administrative centre of the Kursk Viceroyalty. A coat of arms was officially approved for the city in 1780 which depicts three partridges flying on a blue strip on a silver background. In 1781 there was a major fire in Kursk and subsequently a new general plan was adopted for the city. Kursk became the administrative centre of the  in 1797 .

19th Century

Our lady of the kursk root icon and religious processions.

In the mid-19th century the religious procession with the Our Lady of the Kursk Root Icon from Kursk's Znamensky Monastery to the nearby Korennaya Hermitage became one of the biggest religious events in the empire and tens of thousands of people took part in it. In 1883 the artist Ilya Repin depicted this religious procession in his famous painting in which he shows the various social strata in Russia at the time. In 1898 an anarchist placed a bomb in the Our Lady of the Sign Cathedral of the Znamensky Monastery under the Our Lady of the Kursk Root Icon. The explosion caused great damage to the cathedral but when the priest found the silver case of the icon in the rubble, he discovered that the icon itself has miraculously survived.

20th Century

In 1917 Soviet power was declared in Kursk, but the volunteer army of General Anton Denikin briefly occupied the city from September to November 1919 when the Soviets retook the city. When Denikin's army left Kursk they took with them the Our Lady of the Kursk Root Icon, which was eventually taken to the USA where it remains today. In 1934 Kursk became the centre of the newly-established Kursk Region.

Second World War

On 29 August 1941 Kursk experienced its first bombing raid by the Luftwaffe and on 1 November 1941 the city was attacked. Kursk fell two days later on 3 November 1941 and was only liberated on 8 February 1943 by the 60th army of the Voronezh Front. The liberation of Kursk resulted in what is known as the Kursk Salient - a Soviet-controlled bulge on the frontline around the city. It was obvious to the Soviets that soon Hitler would launch an attempt to recapture the city. Marshal Zhukhov was among those who argued that the Red Army should go on the defensive and only once the Nazis had been exhausted should they launch a counter-attack. This proved to be a successful tactic and at the Battle of the Kursk Salient, which was fought between 5 July to 23 August 1943 , the Soviets were victorious, although at a very high cost. The Battle of Prokhorovka (often also called the Battle of Kursk) took place during the Battle of the Kursk Salient in Prokhorovka outside Belgorod and was the largest tank battle in history. After the Battle of the Kursk Salient, the Nazis remained on the defensive for the rest of the war.

21st Century

After the fall of the Soviet Union, many of Kursk's churches were once again reopened.  This included the Znamensky Monastery and the new century saw the religious procession from the monastery to the Korennaya Hermitage being revived and gaining in popularity.  In 2007 Kursk was awarded the title of City of Military Glory for the “courage, endurance and mass heroism, demostrated by defenders of the city in the struggle for the freedom and independence of the Motherland”.

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