Polaris, the superyacht owned by a Russian multi-millionaire with Maltese citizenship, was photographed leaving the Grand Harbour on Saturday, destined for Turkey.

The 70-metre vessel owned by Maxim Shubarev, chairman of Setl Group, a major Russian construction company based in St Petersburg, raised eyebrows when it docked in Vittoriosa on Friday.

But on Saturday evening it was captured leaving port and by 7pm it was well on its way to Turkey, according to the web tracking application Vessel Finder.

Polaris tracked by web application, Vessel Finder.Polaris tracked by web application, Vessel Finder.

The international community is currently pressing down on allies of Vladimir Putin through widespread sanctions, with European Parliament President Roberta Metsola saying European ports must be closed off to the superyachts owned by wealthy Russians.

Shubarev, who received Maltese citizenship in 2018, does not appear to be on the list of oligarchs sanctioned by the EU, and was not aboard Polaris when it entered Grand Harbour.

The EU has issued sanctions against 680 individuals and 53 entities linked to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

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