Ukrainian engineer wanted to sink Russian arms magnate’s superyacht in revenge | Abroad

Opstapchuk was arrested and appeared before the investigating judge on Sunday. The Ukrainian showed no remorse. “He considers the owner of the yacht a criminal because he makes money selling weapons which he says are killing Ukrainians,” the judge wrote in the official report of the interrogation, which has been viewed. by the AP news agency. The driver said he was well aware of his employer’s activities.

Footage he saw on an online news broadcast of a Russian missile impacting an apartment building in Kiev that looked like his own and badly damaged five floors, tripped a ‘switch’ in his head , he said. “Weapons produced by the owner of the yacht are now being used against my own people,” Ostapchuk said.

He said he thought about what he would do for a few hours before deciding to get revenge. According to the police report of the interrogation, before opening the valves, Opstapchuk closed the yacht’s fuel taps to avoid pollution or harm to others and warned the other crew members, all of whom were Ukrainians.

The Guardia Civil told the AP it could not confirm claims about ownership of the yacht. “These luxury boats are usually registered in tax havens under shell companies that are not necessarily the ultimate owners,” a spokesperson said on condition of anonymity. The Lady Anastasia was built in New Zealand, flies the flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the Caribbean and is said to be worth 7 million euros.