A Ukrainian crewman arrested for trying to scuttle his Russian boss’ £5.8 million megayacht in the Mediterranean Sea says he has ‘no regrets’.
Taras Ostapchuk, 55, a mechanical engineer aboard the 156ft luxury Lady Anastasia, docked in Majorca, claimed he was acting out of ‘revenge’ against its owner, arms manufacturing boss Alexander Mikheev.
Moscow-born Mr Mikheev is the CEO of a Russian state-owned company responsible for importing and exporting arms from the country.
During a stopover on the Spanish island, Mr Ostapchuk said he became enraged while watching TV news reports about a Ukrainian apartment block destroyed by a Russian cruise missile.
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He decided to return the ship and open valves in the engine room and a crew cabin, according to local media.
The 55-year-old was said to have told his crewmates, who were also Ukrainian, to abandon ship, although they managed to stop the leak with help from port workers and narrowly save the vessel, which sleeps 10 guests and nine crew.
According to court statements reported by Majorcan newspaper Ultima Hora, he turned himself into police arriving at the scene and told them the ship’s owner ‘makes a living selling weapons’ used to ‘kill Ukrainians’.
The sailor insisted he intended only to cause ‘material damage’ and not to harm Mr Mikheev, who is not believed to have been on board at the time.
He was freed by a judge after admitting responsibility on Sunday, although it was not immediately clear if he faces further charges.
He later added: ‘I don’t regret anything I’ve done and I would do it again’.
Mr Ostapchuk later said he planned to fly home to fight the Russian invasion, telling his lawyer in a video call reported by Ultima Hora: ‘I lost the first battle, which was to sink the Russian chief’s ship, but I will win the next one.’
While Mr Mikheev’s company, Rosoboronexport, accounts for nearly 90% of exports of Russia’s arms, it is not known whether it plays a significant role in supplying weapons used in the Russian invasion.
There was no immediate comment from either Mr Mikheev or his company.
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