Ukraine transfers seized containers from Mykolaiv Alumina Plant to ARMA for sale

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A court in Ukraine has authorised the Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) to take over and sell more than 3,000 specialised containers linked to the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant, concluding that continued storage would further reduce the assets' economic value.

According to a ruling by the Central District Court of Mykolaiv, the seized property comprises 3,045 reusable textile containers used to transport bulk materials. The containers, owned by Russian company Novitni Tekhnologii v Perevozhennyakh, are valued at approximately USD 304,500, or more than UAH 11.1 million at the exchange rate applicable when they were seized.

The containers were imported into Ukraine under a temporary import regime and were used at the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant. They have been treated as evidence in a criminal investigation into the alleged financing of activities aimed at undermining Ukraine's constitutional order and supporting Russian aggression.

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The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has been investigating the case since July 2022, alleging that companies in the Mykolaiv region linked to Russian and Belarusian beneficiaries may have channelled profits to Russia through commodity transactions and other schemes.

The containers were seized in October 2022 and transferred to ARMA for safekeeping in August 2023. Inspection reports in 2023 and 2026 found that the assets had deteriorated during storage at the Dnipro-Buzkyi Sea Trade Port, where they remain loaded with approximately 36,500 metric tonnes of alumina. Some containers have reportedly been damaged, including by shrapnel.

Prosecutors argued that selling the containers would preserve their remaining value and avoid further storage costs. The court accepted the request, allowing ARMA to proceed with their sale.

Separately, the State Property Fund of Ukraine is preparing electronic auctions for the sale of confiscated alumina and bauxite currently stored in the containers. Following the sale of the materials, the containers are expected to be emptied before being reused or sold. The auctions are planned for the second half of 2026, subject to government approval.

In June 2023, Ukraine's High Anti-Corruption Court confiscated the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant from Russian businessman Oleg Deripaska, transferring assets worth more than UAH 10 billion to the state. Ownership of the plant was formally transferred to the State Property Fund in March 2024.

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