Seizure of berths in Chornomorsk

The court ordered the seizure of seven state-owned berths located in the village of Burchaka Balka within the waters of the Chornomorsk seaport. These facilities had been subleased by Chornomorsk Fishing Port LLC (CFP LLC) since 1997; however, according to the investigation, the company illegally registered them as private property.

Property registration scheme

The investigation established that in February 2019, the management of CFP LLC, in collusion with state registrars, illegally registered ownership rights over the operational waters of berths No. 1–6 and No. 4 (formerly No. 7–10). For this purpose, forged documents were used, including technical passports prepared by the company Prom-Stroy LTD. Despite the lack of legal grounds, the state registrar made changes to the register of property rights, effectively transferring the waters to the private ownership of CFP LLC, although they belong to the state.

Court decision and arguments of the parties

In February 2025, the berths were recognised as physical evidence, after which the prosecution secured their seizure to prevent further illegal alienation.

Representatives of CFP LLC stated that the company does not claim ownership of the berths but merely uses the waters in accordance with the contract. They also emphasised that the seizure could paralyse the operations of an enterprise of critical importance. However, the court ruled that the seizure does not prohibit the operation of the berths but only restricts their alienation, which is a necessary measure to protect state assets.

Offshore trail

CFP LLC is part of the Antarktyka Joint Stock Company, whose ownership structure extends to offshore entities. According to Opendatabot data, the founders include Espert Holdings Ltd, Meidcom Ltd, and ZAO Ukrtransitservice Ltd.