15 September 2026, 21:22
The ship that struck a mine near Izmail has been put up for auction
Ця стаття також доступна українською
PHOTO: SETAM
In the Odesa region, the vessel VYSSOS—which struck a mine in the Black Sea in December 2023—has been put up for auction. The starting price for the bulk carrier is over 40 million hryvnias.
Information about the sale was published on the SETAM platform.
The auction is scheduled for October 8, 2026. Currently, one bidder has registered to participate. The starting price of the vessel is 40.18 million hryvnias, the security deposit is over 2 million hryvnias, and the bidding increment is approximately 402,000 hryvnias.
The VYSSOS sailed under the Panamanian flag and was built in 2007. The vessel is 103.63 meters long and 18.60 meters wide.
Media reports stated that on December 27, 2023, at around 9 a.m., the vessel struck a mine in the Black Sea while en route to the port of Izmail to load grain. There were 18 crew members on board—mostly Egyptian citizens, as well as two Turks and three Ukrainians.
The sailors later recounted that the explosion sent the ship’s stern 3 meters into the air, and all systems shut down. The impact was severe; some crew members suffered bruises, but everyone survived.
A few hours later, tugboats refloated the VYSSOS from the shoal and towed it to the port of Izmail.
Earlier, the barge“Alpina,” damaged by a Russian strike, was put up for auction for 15 million. However, the vessel could not be sold—not a single buyer registered for the auction.
Before the war, the vessel was used to transport grain, and after the Russian invasion, it served as a defensive structure that blocked the passage of enemy surface drones and hindered the movement of small enemy vessels.
As a result, access to the barge is restricted, and the future owner will have to independently resolve the issue of moving the vessel out of the port.
