A $156 million superyacht belonging to one of the richest members of Russia's parliament was just spotted in Dubai, dodging Western sanctions

• Associated Press journalists photographed the Madame Gu superyacht docked in Dubai on Thursday.
• The yacht belongs to billionaire Andrey Skoch, one of the richest members of Russia's parliament.

A Russian oligarch's $156 million superyacht has been spotted docked in Dubai as Moscow's elite continue to dodge Western sanctions in the United Arab Emirates.

Associated Press journalists photographed the vessel moored off Port Rashid on Thursday.

The 324-foot ship, "Madame Gu," is owned by sanctioned billionaire Andrey Skoch, one of the richest members of the Russian Duma. Skoch is worth $5.35 billion and is ranked among the world's 500 richest people, according to Bloomberg.

Comfortably fitting 12 guests and 36 crew members, the luxury yacht features a helipad, beach club, elevator, and bright blue hull, according to a charter listing. Simply painting the boat costs $1 million a year, the US Treasury says.

Madame Gu was first reported to be in Dubai by The New York Times in early March. The Associated Press' report suggests the superyacht has remained untouched in the United Arab Emirates ever since, even after its recent designation as sanctioned property by the US.

Skoch was first sanctioned by the US in 2018 for serving as a Russian government official, as well as maintaining "longstanding ties to Russian organized criminal groups," the Treasury said. Madame Gu, as well as hi helicopter and private plane, were all designated as "blocked property" by the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on June 2.

Multiple yachts and aircrafts linked to sanctioned Russians have been spotted in Dubai, as the city emerged as a safehaven for the luxury assets of Moscow's elite following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

While the UAE has not imposed any sanctions on Russia, government officials have told Western allies that sanctioned entities and individuals are not be permitted to do business in the country, the Financial Times reported Wednesday. However, activists and members of the European parliament are calling for the Dubai and the United Arab Emirates to be blacklisted over its role in facilitating Russia's "dirty money."

"Dubai has long been a safe place for dirty money. It should now be put on financial blacklists and its leaders shouldn't be welcome [in Britain]," Bill Browder, a campaigner and critic of Vladimir Putin, told UK newspaper The Observer earlier this month.