Tuapse Commercial Sea Port (TMTP)

History

2025

Nationalization of the port

On November 24, 2025, the Arbitration Court of the Krasnodar Territory, at the suit of the Prosecutor General's Office of the Russian Federation, turned Tuapse Commercial Sea Port LLC (TMKP) into state ownership. This object previously belonged to entrepreneur Shakhlar Novruzov.

According to the Kommersant newspaper, Novruzov acquired a 100% stake in TMKP LLC in October 2014, after which he transferred the rights to the asset to Vonixel Limited BVI, registered in the British Virgin Islands. At the same time, as stated in the materials of the Prosecutor General's Office, the participants in the transaction ignored Federal Law No. 57 "On Foreign Investments," according to which such transactions must be notified to the authorized state authority and obtain its consent to establish control over an economic company of strategic importance.

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Фото: Wikipedia

In addition, as stated in the lawsuit, the British Virgin Islands is a dependent territory of Britain. The latter is included in the list of foreign states and territories committing unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation, Russian legal entities and individuals by order of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 5, 2022.

In connection with these circumstances, the Prosecutor General's Office demanded that the transaction between Vonixel Limited and Novruzov be declared invalid and transferred to the TMKP to the state. The court satisfied these requirements.

Novruzov himself was detained on September 1, 2025 on charges of trying to steal real estate worth 919 million rubles. According to Kommersant, the Prosecutor General's Office considers Novruzov "a member of an ethnic Azerbaijani criminal group." The entrepreneur is one of the most prominent representatives of the diaspora of Azerbaijan in the Kuban. Earlier, he headed LLC "Complex for the processing of agricultural products of the Dary Kuban," which manages a large logistics facility in the suburbs of Krasnodar - a wholesale market for the sale of vegetables and fruits.^[1]

Asset seizure

The Arbitration Court of the Krasnodar Territory decided to seize all the assets of two companies - Tuapse Commercial Sea Port and Tuapse Commercial Sea Port Enterprise. Interim measures apply to movable and immovable property of organizations. Information about the court decision appeared in the file of arbitration cases on September 28, 2025.

The Prosecutor General's Office filed a lawsuit against the current and former owners of the Tuapse Commercial Seaport. Among the defendants is the arrested businessman Shakhlar Novruzov. The list of defendants also includes an offshore company registered in the British Virgin Islands. The third participant in the case is a former top manager of a large construction corporation.^[2]

The general director of TMKP at this time is Alexander Vovk, who also heads the Temryuk Sea Transshipment Terminal, whose co-owners are Gunduz Novruzov and Dar Frut LLC, whose owner is Shakhlar Novruzov.

According to RBC, shares in the authorized capital of legal entities that belong to these companies were arrested. Frozen funds in bank accounts, as well as values ​ ​ in safes and metal accounts. The court established a number of exceptions to restrictive measures. Companies are allowed to transfer money between their own accounts.

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Фото: Freepik

Port organizations are allowed to make payments on loans issued with Russian banks before the arrest. It is allowed to pay salaries to employees and pay taxes to the budget. All other financial transactions are blocked until the interim measures are lifted.

Port company executives have been banned from taking certain actions. Management cannot worsen the working conditions of employees of enterprises. It is prohibited to stop the activities of organizations and open new bank accounts. Management has no right to initiate the liquidation of legal entities.

The court ordered the company to send all incoming funds to the accounts in. banks Russia The arrest was also imposed on the personal property of the defendants in the case. The measures are designed to prevent the withdrawal of assets until the conclusion of the proceedings.

Notes