A Russian tycoon whose seized $48 million superyacht features an 'infinite wine cellar' wants his boat back — and he's suing the UK government for it

A 192-foot superyacht has been caught in a legal tug-of-war between the UK government and a Russian business tycoon as the war continues in Ukraine.

Sergei Naumenko, a Russian property developer who isn't on any sanctions list, per Bloomberg, is listed as the beneficial owner of the "Phi." The vessel — which is worth £38 million, or $48 million — was seized by UK authorities last year.

Now, the businessman wants his ship — which has been moored in London's Canary Wharf since the end of 2021— back. He is suing the UK's transport department to free the vessel and is seeking undisclosed damages, according to a high court claim document filed on May 10.

The Phi — which features an "infinite wine cellar" and a "patented fresh-water swimming pool," according to the Guardian — was detained by Grant Shapps, then the transport minister, amid a big media frenzy. 

Shapps even posted a TikTok video in March 2022, where he said: "We've just detained the ship which was due to sail at midday. It's a yacht which belongs to a Russian oligarch — friends of Putin — and was here for a refit," adding: "We're not going to allow this yacht to sail we've detained indefinitely."

The video had almost 19,000 likes.

"This Government will continue to take robust action against anyone benefiting from connections to Putin's regime," Shapps tweeted at the time while announcing the detention.