Vladimir Putin’s spokesman honeymoons on board ’luxury yacht’

Campaigners ask how Dmitry Peskov managed to hire a yacht costing £270,000 per week on a declared income of £93,000 in 2014

Vladimir Putin’s press secretary’s taste for luxury is under the spotlight once again after an opposition leader claimed the Kremlin official was honeymooning on board one of the world’s most expensive yachts.

Dmitry Peskov was photographed wearing a £400,000 watch during his wedding to Tatiana Navka, a figure skater, on August 1.

Now Alexei Navalny, the opposition leader and anti-corruption blogger who brought the watch to public attention, has demanded to know who is paying for Mr Peskov’s honeymoon.

Writing on his blog, Mr Navaly claimed to have been informed by a «reliable source» that the couple were on board an 289-ft yacht called the Maltese Falcon.

Said to be worth £95 million, the Maltese Falcon is one of the most luxurious vessels in the world.

According to Burgess, which describes itself as a «super yacht brokerage house», the vessel sleeps 12 guests, carries a plethora of watersports equipment, and features the largest outdoor cinema screen afloat.

One week of «exceptional sailing performance in uncompromised luxury» on board the Maltese Falcon costs 385,000 euros (£270,000), according to the company.

That sum, as Mr Navalny pointed out, is almost three times greater than Mr Peskov’s declared income for 2014 of 9.2 million rubles (£93,000).

«The anti-corruption foundation demands an explanation from Mr Peskov as to who paid for the rent of the yacht or (if he paid himself) where he got the money,» wrote Mr Navalny, adding that the Maltese Falcon was cruising around Sardinia.

«We also demand that President Putin and his administration both legally and ethically account for Mr Peskov’s lifestyle,» he added.

In an indirect reply delivered via the Russian press, Mr Peskov said he was in Sicily «renting a hotel.» He earlier explained that his watch was a present from his wife and «not as expensive as some comrades suggest».

Source: The Telegraph