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GOLD-PLATED MONSTER
Inside Putin’s £500m superyacht with pool that becomes dance floor, huge home cinema and even a GOLD toilet roll holder
THE sickening luxury enjoyed by Vladimir Putin on board his £500million superyacht is today revealed by The Sun — including tasteless gold loo roll holders.
Mad Vlad, whose forces are bombing women and children in Ukraine, spared no expense on the six-deck Scheherazade.
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Pressure is mounting on Italy, where the yacht is anchored, to seize and sell it to benefit Ukrainians.
An ex-crew member said: “Russian people paid for it. Putin needs his head flushing down that golden throne.”
The Scheherazade’s official cost when finished two years ago was £500million — but insiders say it could be closer to £750million.
Pictures obtained by The Sun show six decks of obscene luxury and sickening excess.
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A worker who helped build it said: “Every surface is marble or gold. There are countless swimming pools, a spa, a sauna, a theatre, ballrooms, a gym, two helipads. It’s like a mini city.
“There is even a hospital which makes sense when you hear rumours of Putin being terminally ill.
“It is hard to swallow the fact that the most incredible ship in the world is owned by a man intent on bombing civilians in Ukraine.
“And it is an unimaginable amount of wealth when the average Russian’s salary is £5,000 a year, and people there are struggling to eat.”
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Since September 2020 the 459ft floating palace, named after a legendary Persian queen, has been moored in Marina di Carrara in Italy.
Rumours that Putin owned the yacht have circulated since its construction.
But its ownership was not investigated until jailed Putin critic Alexei Navalny’s team released a video on Monday detailing the crew — all said to be from Russian security services.
Italian authorities have now been urged to seize the yacht. It is said to have a separate European crew only allowed on board when Putin is away.
Personal touches for the despot are evident in a judo gym which has framed pictures of black belts.
Books show Putin’s obsession with wealth, including The Atlas of Beauty by Mihaela Noroc, Fashion History from the Kyoto Costume Institute and Photo Icons by Hans-Michael Koetzle.
A tiled dancefloor lowers to turn into a pool. It is thought to be one of only two on ships in the world — the other is on Putin’s yacht Graceful.
Other indulgences include a self-levelling pool table, five-metre aquarium and the biggest TV on a yacht, stretching 4.5m across an entire wall, which cost a million euros to install.
Bathrooms are adorned with gold toilet roll holders and taps.
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But it is clear Mad Vlad’s vessel is not just meant for pleasure.
It boasts two helipads capable of landing 16ft military helicopters.
The ship’s highly sophisticated security system with four radars is said to be capable of shooting down drones.
Underneath one helipad there is a hangar big enough to store a helicopter along with six jet skis, five tenders, and eight Seabobs.
The former crew member added: “All over the world yachts owned by oligarchs are being seized but the Scheherazade is sitting there in plain sight in a marina in Italy. It just doesn’t seem right.”
Flight details, obtained by Navalny’s team, reportedly show the Russian crew flying together to Milan, one of the closest airports in north west Italy.
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They believe the crew were visiting the port to keep watch on the ship.
Tory MP Tom Tugendhat told The Sun last night: “Putin’s pampered nautical palace was launched with cash stolen off the Russian people and now floats off the Italian Riviera showing us all the action we should take.”
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