The Ukrainian Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) recently announced the completion of the auction process for a controversial oil tanker linked to Russia. The vessel, previously seized due to its involvement in the 2018 Russia-Ukraine maritime conflict, was successfully sold after being released by court order, with the proceeds to be used to replenish Ukraine’s state budget.
The auctioned tanker, named *Nika Spirit*, has a deadweight tonnage of approximately 3,800 tons. Ukrainian authorities noted that the ship is the same as the Russian-registered tanker *Neyma*, which was involved in the 2018 Kerch Strait incident, only renamed. At that time, three Ukrainian naval vessels attempting to cross the Kerch Strait en route to the port of Mariupol were intercepted by Russian forces, and 24 crew members were detained, drawing widespread international attention.
The *Nika Spirit* was seized in 2019 at the Ukrainian Danube River port of Izmail and remained under judicial freeze. In 2023, ARMA temporarily entrusted a third party to operate the vessel. However, as financial pressures mounted, the agency decided to auction it publicly to secure funds for the state budget.
The auction was conducted online in April this year, attracting four bidders. Despite an independent audit assessing the ship as having “80% equipment wear and tear” with potential repair costs reaching $480,000, the final sale price rose from the initial $57,500 to $153,000. The buyer was a domestic Ukrainian company.
