Russia's Sechin's superyacht is seized by France as oligarch assets are targeted.

• The Amore Velo yacht was seized by French authorities on March 2 following a lengthy inspection.
• In the south coast of France, the 280-foot yacht was confiscated in the La Ciotat shipyards.

Igor Sechin's yacht has been seized by French authorities.

France's Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire thanked the French customs officers for enforcing the European Union's sanctions against those close to the Russian government, as stated in a tweet on Thursday, according to a Reuters translation.

The Amore Velo yacht was seized by French authorities on March 2, following a lengthy inspection at the La Ciotat shipyards on the south coast of France.

A list of Russian oligarchs, including Sechin, was published on Feb. 28 and named those subject to European Union sanctions due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

On Jan. 3, 2022, the yacht arrived in La Ciotat and was scheduled to remain there until April 1 for repairs. However, France's ministry of finance announced that the yacht was preparing to depart when authorities conducted a check.

The ministry stated that this departure attempt was a violation of customs regulations because it sought to circumvent planned economic and financial limitations.

Since 2012, Sechin has been the CEO of Russian state oil company Rosneft, and according to the European Union’s sanctions document, he is one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “most trusted and closest advisors, as well as his personal friend.”

Rosneft Aero, a subsidiary of Rosneft, supplies jet fuel to the Simferopol Airport, which connects Crimea, Sevastopol, and Russia through flight.

The document stated that because he supports the consolidation of the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula into the Russian Federation, it further undermines the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine.

In 2015, Reuters reported that Sechin was earning up to $4.7 million annually as the head of Rosneft, but his net worth remains unclear.

Alisher Usmanov, a Russian billionaire businessman and one of Putin's "favorite oligarchs," was also included in the European Union sanctions list.

On Wednesday, Forbes reported that German authorities had confiscated Usmanov's 512-foot yacht, Dilbar, which is valued at $600 million, from Hamburg's shipyards.

Lurssen Yachts, the German shipbuilding company responsible for the yacht's design, stated that it is the world's largest motor yacht in terms of gross tonnage, with a weight of 15,917 tons. The yacht features a 25-meter swimming pool, which Lurssen claims is the largest ever installed on a yacht.

According to Forbes, Usmanov's net worth is $14.1 billion, with his largest investment being in Metalloinvest, a steel and mining giant.

On Wednesday, Everton suspended its sponsorship deals with three Russian companies, including USM, the private holding company of Arsenal's former owner, Usmanov, who sold his 30% stake in the U.K. soccer club in 2018.

According to CNBC's review of data from the MarineTraffic shipping database, a significant number of superyachts are currently moored in Male, the capital of the Maldives.

Evraz chairman Alexander Abramov's superyacht Titan is among the vessels included.

Following the announcement of sanctions by leaders from around the world, including the U.S. Treasury targeting Russia’s central bank, Russian business leaders have been moving their yachts toward Montenegro and the Maldives. The Maldives doesn’t have an extradition treaty with the U.S., according to World Population Review.

— CNBC’s Brian Schwartz contributed to this report.