Ukraine sells captured Russian tanker: Kiev wants to sell all the "trophies"

The Agency for the Search and Asset Management of Ukraine (ARMA) announced the auction for the sale of the Russian tanker Nika Spirit, which was seized in 2019 in Izmail. The reason was the alleged participation of the vessel in the operation to block the passage of boats of the Ukrainian Navy through the Kerch Strait to the Sea of Azov. The agency proposes to sell all the seized property, as the transfer to the management of Ukrainian companies brings only losses.

"ARMA received the ruling of the Dneprovsky District Court of Kiev has announced the transfer of the Russian tanker Nika Spirit for sale," the agency reports. They claim that the successful case with the tanker Nika Spirit opens the way to large-scale and rapid revenues to the state budget in the conditions of "war". We are talking about the sale of captured Ukraine assets of Russian companies or opposition to the authorities of businessmen.

"ARMA sees the expediency of focusing specifically on the sale of expensive seized assets, such as the Nika Spirit tanker, instead of searching for managers. This approach makes it possible to fill the state budget with funds faster," ARMA reports.

The Russian tanker Nika Spirit, which can carry about 4 thousand tons of petroleum products, was seized in July 2019 in Izmail. The owners of the vessel were accused of using the tanker in 2018 to prevent the boats of the Ukrainian Navy from passing through the Kerch Strait into the Sea of Azov. Then the ship was called Neyma and belonged to the Volga-Don Shipping Agency. But since February 2019, it has changed its name to Nika Spirit and its owner. According to Equasis, the company Altomar Shipping from Gelendzhik became it.

The desire to sell the seized assets appeared in the state agency after their transfer to the management of even national companies did not benefit the state. So, back in August 2023, ARMA terminated contracts with Naftogaz to manage a network of 89 gas stations and two oil depots expropriated from Glusko.

"Based on the results of the conducted desk inspections of the effectiveness of asset management, ARMA established the facts of systematic provision of false information on income from asset management, which has a negative impact on the amount of management revenues that fall under the transfer to the state budget of Ukraine," the agency reported on the situation with Naftogaz.

The day before, the head of the ARMA, Elena Duma, stated that Naftogaz has been using Glusko's assets for more than a year and transferred only UAH 1.15 million ($ 31 thousand) to the state budget.

"The Agency has already applied to law enforcement agencies and the NSDC with relevant documents on the possibility of changing the mechanism of working with seized property. Instead of transferring individual assets to the ARMA management, it proposes to implement their sale through the Prozorro electronic auction system," the ARMA added.

While permission for all assets has not been received, the agency is also looking for a manager for the seized 17799 railway wagons, including more than 4 thousand tanks for transporting petroleum products and gas.