SH Minerva has returned to Swan Hellenic’s fleet following a three-year legal battle due to sanctions placed on Russian companies.
The ship was built at Helsinki Shipyard in 2021 and was chartered to Swan Hellenic by an Irish leasing company that was a subsidiary of a Russian financial group. After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the introduction of sanctions, Swan Hellenic could no longer make leasing payments but was able to acquire the ship after lengthy legal negotiations.
In November, the vessel will join SH Vega and SH Diana in Ushuaia, Argentina, for the 2025-26 Antarctic season. In March 2026, the ship will embark on Swan Hellenic’s first Asia-Pacific season, offering voyages to the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the Philippines and Japan.
