After attempting to drown his Russian boss’s expensive yacht, a Ukrainian sailor was imprisoned and eventually released.
Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the 55-year-old Ukrainian sailor attempted to sink the £5 million vessel off the coast of Majorca’s Pord Adriano.
He was arrested for his conduct, but after explaining the circumstances to authorities, he was released.
“I don’t regret anything I’ve done and I would do it again,” he was quoted as saying after his release.
According to local media, the man worked as a mechanic on the Lady Anastasia ship for about ten years and claimed that the attempted sinking was a “act of revenge” against the boat’s owner, Russian Alexander Mijeev, who holds a high position in a Russian state company that specializes in shipbuilding.
“My boss is a criminal who sells weapons that harm the Ukrainian people,” the sailor told the Civil Guard when they arrived.
The unnamed man said he was watching the news about the war and saw a cruise missile attack on a building in Kyiv in a statement to authorities. His boss’s company is the manufacturer of the missile.
He returned to the yacht two hours after seeing the news with a plan to wreck it.
He opened a large valve in the engine room and a smaller valve in the crew’s quarters. He did, however, ensure that the yacht’s gasoline valves were closed to prevent contamination.
He told his fellow crew members his plans and said “don’t worry because I will take all the blame”.
He told the crewmen, also Ukrainian, to abandon ship and that he would take full responsibility. However they still tried to stop the leak along with workers from the port.
It is reported the vessel was partially sunk.
When the police arrived the man confessed quickly but he has since been released although it is not clear if he will be charged.