The Administrative Court of Frankfurt am Main has ruled that there are no legal grounds to consider the Dilbar yacht to be the property of, or an asset controlled by, Russian businessman Alisher Usmanov.
The court found that the German Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) acted unlawfully when it refused to confirm that the yacht should not be treated as a frozen asset under European Union sanctions legislation.
According to a statement issued by Usmanov’s press office, the ruling removes any legal uncertainty regarding ownership of the Dilbar and refutes what it described as a false narrative, promoted since 2022, alleging that Usmanov secretly controlled the yacht through complex trust structures to conceal his assets.
The statement notes that in 2016 an irrevocable trust, The Sister Trust, was established to hold assets of particular family significance, including the Dilbar yacht and the Burkhan aircraft. Representatives for the businessman said the trust is managed by an independent professional trustee and that neither Usmanov nor his sister, Gulbakhor Ismailova, has ownership rights over, or receives any financial benefit from, the trust’s assets.
The press office also stated that German courts have repeatedly rejected claims that Usmanov owns or controls the Dilbar. According to the statement, six separate court rulings have addressed the issue, while several media outlets have removed or amended previous reports.
Court documents show that in April 2025, German shipbuilder Lürssen, where the Dilbar is currently berthed, asked BAFA to confirm that the vessel should not be classified as a frozen asset. After the regulator rejected the request, the company challenged the decision in court.
In June 2026, the Administrative Court of Frankfurt am Main ruled BAFA’s refusal unlawful and ordered the authority to recognise that the shipyard has no grounds to regard the yacht as an asset owned or controlled by individuals subject to EU sanctions.
Earlier, Kursiv Uzbekistan reported that Alisher Usmanov won a court case against the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
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