The Russian destroyer Severomorsk escorted the superyacht Graceful, identified by Forbes magazine as the personal vessel of President Vladimir Putin, as it departed the Baltic Sea.
The vessels drew attention because they were equipped with special anti-drone protective nets installed over their decks, a measure that reflects Russia’s growing concern about this type of threat.
The movement was recorded by German journalist Frank Behling before the group entered Danish waters. The yacht, measuring about 80 meters in length and estimated to be worth more than €100 million, transited the Great Belt Strait overnight, passed Anholt the following morning, and rounded Skagen later that afternoon. Since 2022, following the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine, the vessel had only rarely appeared in public.
According to military analyst Anders Puck Nielsen of the Royal Danish Defence Academy, the enhanced security may be linked to the increase in Ukrainian drone attacks, including operations conducted near St. Petersburg. Until now, Graceful and its escort vessels had operated almost exclusively in the Baltic Sea or remained moored.
A member of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet, Severomorsk is a large Project 1155 Fregat anti-submarine warfare ship designed to hunt submarines, protect naval formations against aerial threats, and support amphibious operations. With a displacement of approximately 7,500 tons and a length of more than 160 meters, the vessel is equipped with Rastrub-B anti-submarine missiles, torpedo launchers, AK-100 naval guns, Kinzhal air defense systems, and facilities to operate two Ka-27 helicopters.
The Project 1155 Udaloy-class destroyer “Severomorsk” and the Project 23700 rescue vessel “Voevoda” have left the Baltic Sea.
+Yacht “Graceful”
🎥Frank Behling (June 28) pic.twitter.com/W30RbornGA— Massimo Frantarelli (@MrFrantarelli) June 30, 2026
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Source and images: Militarnyi | X @MrFrantarelli | Russian Ministry of Defense. This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
