Deputy finance minister Tatyan Nesterenko told Russia’s parliament: “Considering the uncertainty of these assets’ price, the government has made a decision not to sell the stakes in the companies.”

The last pronouncement on the state shipowner's long-running IPO saga was in January, when ministers said conditions were right to sell off the company this year.

Finance minister Anton Siluanov said the government is considering privatising oil major Rosneft earlier than planned to compensate for the delays.

The