How a Belarusian exile vanished in waters held by Russia
Key takeaways
- Former sports official Anatol Kotau was last seen boarding a private yacht in Turkey in 2025.
- https://p.dw.com/p/5FWHYFormer sports official Anatol Kotau, a critic of the Belarusian regime Image: Privat Advertisement At about 6 p.m.
- The yacht was officially bound for Russia — one of two countries with a warrant out for his arrest — but it is unclear whether Kotau knew its intended destination.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Former sports official Anatol Kotau was last seen boarding a private yacht in Turkey in 2025. DW and its partners investigated his journey to and disappearance in Russia-controlled "gray zone" waters in the Black Sea.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FWHYFormer sports official Anatol Kotau, a critic of the Belarusian regime Image: Privat Advertisement At about 6 p.m. on August 21, 2025, the former Belarusian diplomat and sports official Anatol Kotau boarded a private yacht in northeastern Turkey. He said he would be home in a few days.
The yacht was officially bound for Russia — one of two countries with a warrant out for his arrest — but it is unclear whether Kotau knew its intended destination. What is known is that three hours into his journey, he stopped responding to messages.