On Sep 17, the Saint-Malo court postponed until Nov 19 the hearing regarding the auction of the 'Vladimir Latyshev', pending the authorisation for the ship's sale from the Directorate General of the Treasury. This was because the freezing of the vessel under European sanctions prohibited any transfer of ownership.. This marked the second consecutive postponement of the hearing concerning the auction of the Russian vessel, which has an estimated starting price of €2 million. The sale was intended to repay the creditors of the shipowner, Alpha LLC. Until August 2025, the Saint-Malo-based company Timac Agro covered the bills required to maintain the vessel and meet the crew's needs, specifically fuel, electricity, and provisions for the sailors. The fertiliser giant was subsequently reimbursed by the Russian shipowner. However, the latter has not paid the bill since February 2025, when the company stopped paying the vessel's port fees, after transfers between European and Russian banks were blocked. Faced with these outstanding payments, Timac Agro has requested that the cargo ship be sold at auction. The ship currently houses four crew members. The captain, who has been on board for nearly a year, was expected to be relieved of duty soon. Report with photo: https://www.20minutes.fr/monde/russie/4246258-20260917-saint-malo-cargo-russe-bloque-depuis-debut-guerre-ukraine-peut-etre-trouve-issue
