Vladimir-Latyshev

The Russian 'Vladimir Latyshev', docked in Saint-Malo since almost four years now, has been generating large expenses. The ship was impounded on Feb 28, 2022, just days after the start of the Russian war against Ukraine. Six sailors were on board, who rarely go ashore and are replaced on average every six months. The blockade is based on the EU sanctions regime, which freezes Russian assets. A local service provider organised maintenance, electricity, water, fuel, and provisions. But since the start of 2026, the Russian owner has been in arrears with his bills, with the total amount already estimated at around €200,000, placing the burden on public shoulders of the Brittany region, which, as the owner of the port of Saint-Malo, was the first to step in. The recurring expenses strain its budget month after month: – Electricity: around €8,000 per month – Mooring: approximately €11,500 per month – Water: approximately €300 per month – Total: around €25,000 per month Added to this have to be logistics, provisions, and the costs of ongoing maintenance. In addition to the financial aspects, the crew's living conditions have been coming into focus. Without fresh funds, fuel and food could run out. Laure Tallonneau, inspector for the CGT-Transport union in the Greater West, visits the ship regularly and demanded the immediate repatriation of the crew members, who were in a legal and physical limbo: adequately supplied to survive, but not enough to lead a normal life on board. If the technical systems do not function reliably due to insufficient power supply, there would be a safety risk. Legally, there would be two paths: Either the state allows a formal seizure followed by sale to satisfy creditors, or the responsible authority relaxes the measure and relocates or releases the ship. Both paths are complex and potentially lengthy. A sale would require watertight clarification of ownership, sanctions, and creditor rights. A release could be misinterpreted as a political signal. Another ship belonging to the same owner has been stuck in Marseille for three years. If the blockade continues, ongoing costs and risks to people and infrastructure will increase. For Paris and Brussels, it's a matter of credibility: sanctions must be legally sound, but also practically feasible. The crew's well-being must be ensured, costs have to be distributed more fairly between the state and the region, and a clear legal procedure has to be established. In the medium to long term, a standardized protocol is needed across Europe that manages impounded ships without incalculable additional burdens and guarantees minimum humane standards. A swift, clear decision—whether relocation, disposal, or state assumption of the vessel—would reduce costs, mitigate risks, and strengthen confidence in the ability of public institutions to act. Report with photo: https://s-bahn.hamburg/bretagne-schlaegt-alarm-russisches-schiff-liegt-am-kai-fest-wird-zur-teuren-kostenfalle.html

The owner of the Russian 'Vladimir Latyshev', which has been blocked in Saint-Malo, must settle the debts or is facing the risk of the ship being solld. It has been immobilised in the port for over three years, subject to the freezing of Russian assets. The Saint-Malo Commercial Court (Ille-et-Vilaine) ordered the Russian company Alpha LLC on Dec 16 to pay €125,960 to the Timac Agro, the sum owed to the Saint-Malo-based fertilizer manufacturer. The subsidiary of the Roullier group acted as an intermediary, as it was the intended recipient of the bulk carrier's cargo. From March 2022 to Aug 2025, the Saint-Malo-based company Timac Agro had paid the bills necessary for the ship's upkeep and the crew's needs such as fuel, electricity, port fees, and provisions for the sailors, but it had not been reimbursed by the shipowner since Feb 2025. On Nov 17, the Alpha LLC only paid Timac Agro €30,000 on its claim of approximately €156,000. If the debt is not paid, the ship could be put up for sale. On March 1, 2022, the ship had just unloaded a cargo for the Timac Agro, when it was seized and placed under administrative detention by the National Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigations, due to European sanctions for the Russian war in Ukraine. In the event of an auction, the sale price should exceed the outstanding debts. The ship was estimated to be worth between 15 and 20 million euros, according to David Lebec, financial director of the shipping agent AFCC, a company that holds a claim against an identical vessel, the 'Victor Andryukhin', which is currently impounded in Marseille as part of European sanctions. The appeal period for the judgment is one to three months from the date it is served on the parties.

In Saint-Malo, the dispute between Timac Agro and the Alpha LCC as the owner of the 'Vladimir Latyshev' will soon be resolved. The Saint-Malo Commercial Court (Ille-et-Vilaine) examined the dispute between the company and the shipowner on Nov 18. The vessel was immobilized in the port of the city since the beginning of the Russian war against the Ukraine. The initial summons on Oct 14 suggested that the Russian shipowner might not care much about French jurisdiction. A month ago, it was represented at the hearing only by the ship's current captain, who, moreover, had no interpreter. But the Alpha LLC ultimately hired a lawyer at the last minute to defend its interests. The Timac Agro, a subsidiary of the Roullier Group, acted as an intermediary between the shipowner, the port, and the crew, as it was the consignee of the 'Vladimir Latyshev's cargo when the vessel was escorted to and then detained in the port of Saint-Malo, as part of the sanctions imposed by the European Union against Russia. Until a few months ago, Alpha LLC transferred funds to France to ensure the crew received food and fuel. It also settled its bills. But on Sep 1, Timac Agro wrote to the French authorities to announce its withdrawal from the port agent role due to several months of unpaid invoices. It had initiated proceedings before the commercial court. Approximately €156,000 the Alpha LLC owed Timac Agro. €30,000 has been settled recently. The Russian company also owes the Region just over €70,000 in shipping costs, further increasing its debts. The commercial court will issue its ruling on Dec 16.

In Saint-Malo, a new hearing has been scheduled in the dispute between Timac Agro and the owner of the 'Vladimir Latyshek' at the Commercial Court, regarding unpaid invoices of approximately €150,000. The hearing has been adjourned until Nov 18. The future of the 'Vladimir Latyshev' and its crew will also be decided in the court. Timac Agro, a subsidiary of the Roulier group, has initiated proceedings to recover several months of unpaid debts from the Alpha LCC, the owner of the Russian bulk carrier. The sum is estimated at approximately €150,000. The Saint-Malo court was scheduled to examine the request on Oct 14. The Russian company was represented at the hearing only by the vessel's current captain, who, moreover, did not have an interpreter. The case was therefore adjourned until Nov 18, much to the regret of Timac Agro's counsel, who insisted on the urgency of the situation. Indeed, the Russian ship is no longer insured or supplied. Until a few months ago, the Russian shipowner Alpha LLC transferred funds to France to ensure food and fuel supplies for the crew. The intermediary role between the shipowner, the port, and the sailors was played by Timac Agro. It was the recipient of the cargo when it was escorted to detention. However, the Saint-Malo-based company wrote to the French authorities on Sep 1, stating that it was withdrawing from the port agent role due to unpaid bills.

Uninsured and with a debt, the 'Vladimir Latyshev', which is still immobilized in Saint-Malo like the m/v 'Victor Andryukhin' in Marseille, is fueling tensions between the Brittany Region, which owns the port, and the government, which is responsible for the sanctions. The ship, targeted by European sanctions, has been in port since 2022. Since the summer,the shipowner Alpha LLC has stopped paying its bills, and the ship is no longer insured. Six sailors take turns on board every six months. Port authorities are requesting the transfer of the ship to a state-owned port, as everything suggested that this ship is in a derelict situation.

After the ship has been stranded for 3,5 years in the port of Saint-Malo, the agent of the 'Vladimir Latyshev', the ship no longer has a local port agent due to unpaid bills from the shipowner. The ship was immobilized soon after Russia started the war against Ukraine and has since been moved between the various docks of the port as needed. The port agent has since been responsible for supplying the crew on board. The Brittany region is requesting that the ship be placed in a state-owned port. Am abandonment of the ship is the worst-case scenario imaginable by the port authorities of Saint-Malo (Ille-et-Vilaine).

The 'Vladimir Latyshev' with seven crew members on board, has been stuck in the port of Saint-Malo for almost three years as the victim of the freezing of Russian assets, Europe's response to Putin's war in Ukraine. The ship is well supplied with diesel and the sailors don’t lack anything. The crew keeps maintaining the 'Vladimir Latyshev'. The Russian company LLC Alpha, the owner of the ship, has to advance the costs, but the money has not arrived for several months, around 150,000 euros per month. It is to pay for diesel and various expenses of the sailors. Report with photos: https://actu.fr/bretagne/saint-malo_35288/un-navire-bloque-depuis-3-ans-dans-un-port-breton-cest-un-jour-sans-fin_62213360.html

The 'Vladimir Latyshev' has been stuck in the port of Saint-Malo since March 2022, when it docked to deliver a cargo of magnesia, and the situation is becoming critical due to a lack of fuel. Russian sailors take turns maintaining the ship. They also carry out the manoeuvres requested by the harbour master's office to maintain the port activity. The ship needs fuel for its small movements and to keep it moored, such as to keep the heating, refrigerators or fire extinguishing system running. However, since 2024, the harbour master no longer receives the necessary compensation. Russia has always paid, but the bookings have been blocked by the French authorities as part of the sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine. Without diesel, there is no electricity, an the crew could then be forced to abandon ship, for their own safety and the ship would then become a ghost ship. To prevent this dramatic situation, the local association Mor Glaz is putting pressure on France to keep the ship sailing. The crew of the ship is still being supplied with food and other necessities thanks to advances. The debt is already estimated at 150,000 Euros. Report with photo: https://www.ouest-france.fr/bretagne/saint-malo-35400/pourquoi-le-cargo-russe-est-devant-les-remparts-de-saint-malo-07d53b70-dc95-11ef-8f83-1be9a95f1bed

A company is demanding €600,000 from the owner of the 'Vladimir Latyshev', which has been detained in Saint-Malo on March 1, 2022, after the start of the Russian war in Ukraine. The ship was to deliver steel coils to Algiers. On April 16, 2024, the Saint-Malo commercial court had to resolve the financial dispute between the buyer of the goods transported by the ship at the time of its immobilization and two Russian companies, the owner and the operator.