Is this the end of the long-term deadlock of the Russian tanker Khatanga?

Russian tanker Khatanga (Хатанга) For almost eight years, it has remained an unresolved problem for Port Gdynia. After years of attempts to find a solution, the Ministry of Infrastructure reported that the ship would be removed. Now the Board of Maritime Port Gdynia (ZMPG) wants to at least partially recover the costs incurred, which over the years have burdened the port budget.

In the article

History of Khatang's problematic tanker

As of 2017, a Russian tanker Khatanga has docked in the Gdynia port – a 150-metre ship that was supposed to hit the renovation, but was abandoned instead and rusted in the heart of the city for years. He used to carry oil, today it's officially empty.

What's really inside him? That's not known. Why? Because no one can go in there. Although the ship stands in the Polish port, it formally remains part of foreign territory. No crew, no owner, no one to ask for permission to board.

It is this legal deadlock that has left the individual untouchable for years, and its future is uncertain.

**How Khatanga Is she stuck in Gdynia?**

Khatanga entered Gdynia in October 2017 for renovation at Nauta shipyard. However, before any work could have begun, Port State Control (PSC) inspectors detected serious technical defects and numerous safety violations that prevented both the unit from allowing further navigation and the planned renovation.

The ship has been detained and has remained in port ever since. In the following years, the situation just got complicated. The owner of the unit – Murmansk Shipping Company – fell into financial problems and declared bankruptcy in 2020. As a result, the entity responsible for the ship disappeared, and any decision concerning its further fate required cooperation with the Russian bankruptcy administrator, with whom no contact could be established for the following years.

In 2021, by decision of the then Pomeranian voivodship, the area where it was located Khatanga, was handed over to the Board of the Maritime Port of Gdynia along with the ship. However, the unit did not formally become port property, which further paralyzed the possibility of taking any action.

Khatanga - A ticking bomb or an empty shell?

The tanker, who used to transport oil, was degassed before entering the shipyard in 2017. Nevertheless, for years there have been concerns that dangerous substances or accumulated gases may be present inside, which could in extreme cases lead to an explosion.

Additional controversy was aroused by the location of the ship – Khatanga docks at the South Pirsa in the Basena II of Gdynia Port, just a few hundred metres from the Sea Towers tower and near the popular Kościuszko Square, where they moor ORP Lightning and Gift of Pomerania. The surroundings include the Gdynia Oceanarium, the Musical Theatre and a little further urban beach, which means that the unit is located in the heart of the touristic part of the city.

In addition, the unit is located near the Naval Base of Poland and the Baltic Container Terminal (BCT) in Gdynia, where NATO military equipment is being transhipped. Such a situation raises concerns that the ship may have been used for listening activities, as did other Russian units operating in the Baltic.

Due to the proximity of strategic facilities and critical infrastructure, Polish services were interested, including the Agency for Internal Security (ABW) and the Military Counterintelligence Service (SKW). The detection of spy devices has not been officially confirmed, but the details of the proceedings remain confidential.

Loose moors, tug intervention and disaster threat

December 2024 and January 2025 Khatanga She moved off the waterfront twice during the strong storms. The moors were loosened and the unit required tug intervention to prevent a potential collision.

After these incidents, the moors were reinforced, but for port authorities it became clear that continuing to keep the ship in port was not only costly but also dangerous.

Port Gdynia wants to regain its losses – but from whom?

According to tvp.info, the Board of the Maritime Port of Gdynia requests reimbursement for the entire period of mooring of the unit. The problem is, no one feels comfortable regulating them.

Despite attempts made by the Board of the Maritime Port of Gdynia to contact the Russian shipowner and bankruptcy administrator, no response or any declaration concerning the unit was obtained.

Kalina Gierblinska, Press spokesman for Gdynia Port

The cost of maintaining the ship for the past years is estimated at approximately PLN 13 million, while its value is only about 5 million.

Selling the only solution?

In this situation, the Gdynia Port Board is considering selling the ship in order to recover at least some of the incurred costs.

‘ZMPG will attempt to sell the ship in order to cover at least part of the obligations arising from the long-term non-payment of a contractual stop. There are currently no real reasons to expect that the owner will settle the arrears, so the sale of the unit remains the only possibility of recovering some of the receivables" – Gierblinska emphasises.

One potential scenario is to sell the unit for scrap, but this requires formal recognition Khatangi for an abandoned ship, which under international law is a lengthy process. Alternatively, Poland could try to introduce additional sanctions against the Murmansk Shipping Company, which would allow to take over the unit without having to negotiate with the Russian syndicate.

End of a long-term deadlock?

Is After Nearly Eight Years Khatanga Will he eventually disappear from Gdynia? The Ministry of Infrastructure's announcements suggest that ship removal is a matter of the coming months.

Port Gdynia hopes that it will not only get rid of the problematic unit, but also recover at least part of the costs incurred. However, even though the ship stands on the Polish wharf, it is still owned by a fallen Russian shipowner – and this remains the biggest obstacle to solving the problem.

Do you Khatanga Will he eventually disappear from the Gdynia wharf before this year's summer season? Final decisions should be made in the coming weeks.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz