Potential buyers of the Odesa Port Plant are scared of war risks, — State Property Fund
11.02.2026 - 17:30
The biggest factor deterring potential investors from buying the Odesa Port Plant remains war risks.
In the next six months, at least four facilities are planned to be put up for sale, including the Odesa Port Plant, the new head of the State Property Fund Dmytro Natalukha said in an interview with Forbes.
According to him, even the debt obligations to Dmitry Firtash in the amount of about $193 million scare investors less than the location of the plant in the Odesa region, which is under constant threat of shelling. Additional deterrent factors are certain environmental issues with potential risks.
At the same time, the option of postponing the sale until the security situation stabilizes is being discussed. However, according to the head of the fund, such logic also contains risks.
The head of the State Fund believes that assets such as the Odesa Port Plant or the Mykolaiv Alumina Plant themselves have a conditional value. They were conceived as part of the Soviet Union’s production chain.
“Therefore, the sale of the OPP to resume fertilizer production is a question of who can afford to pay a high price for gas or gas transportation. And as part of which group this asset can be developed and capitalized,” the official emphasized.
In particular, Dmytro Natalukha noted that such enterprises need a strategic investor.
“And the question is who can afford not to pay too much attention to military risks. Who can guarantee the security of the asset with their flag, citizenship. As an example, the USA and India,” the head of the State Property Fund shared.
Recall that in August 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the privatization of the OPP with an initial price of UAH 4.5 billion (about $108 million). This was the fourth attempt to sell the asset.
In the same month, the Odesa Port Plant suspended grain transshipment due to Russian shelling. Already in early September it became known that the plant was working to resume transshipment.
