Local Updates
The conflict in Ukraine is having a profound effect on ships calling in this region. Functional and financial status of the ports are fluid and changing by the hour, with restrictions and sanctions expected to develop. The Club is liasing with our local contacts in Ukraine, Russia and surrounding regions to obtain updates for our Members.
3rd May, 2022
North-West Black Sea / Azov Sea / Kerch Strait:
- The Warlike Operations Area Committee (WOAC) has declared all Ukrainian, Russian and International Waters north of 44°North in the Black Sea as ‘warlike operations area’.
- Ukrainian and Russian waters in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov have now been added to the LMA’s Joint War Committee (JWC) Hull War, Piracy, Terrorism and Related Perils Listed Areas.
- Navigational warnings are in place for all ships in the North-Western part of the Black Sea, with some areas, north of 45º 21’ parallel, prohibited from navigation.
- Reports of mines in the Black Sea, potentially linked to the sinking of a cargo vessel (03/03/2022).
- Azov Sea is closed for all commercial vessels.
- Kerch Strait is open for southbound traffic for ships leaving the Sea of Azov to the Black Sea.
Ukrainian Ports:
- All Ukrainian ports are shut with no inward or outward navigation of ships permitted at this time. Russian troops have bombarded and now taken control of Olvia port, Khershon sea and river ports, as well as Berdyansk and potentially Ochakov. Mariupol port is reportedly destroyed.
- Odessa, Nikolayev, Yuzhny, Chornomorsk, Izmail, Ust-Dunaysk, Reni ports remain under control of Ukraine but passage is prohibited and there is an increased risk from mines.
- There is a Russian Naval blockade along the Ukrainian coastline and no military passes are being issued.
- Passage to/from Chornomorsk port is closed with a 400mt barge sunk in order to avoid landing of Russian military troops.
- There are reports of vessels leaving Berdyansk to allow passage of military cargoes (21/03/2022).
- Armed hostilities are being conducted in many regions of Ukraine with multiple mercant vessels fired upon by Russian Warships.
- In the Nikolaev region, near the Black Sea port of Olvia, a Russian missile has recently hit a foreign vessel causing a fire on board (02/03/2022).
- Our local correspondents remain in operation in Odessa (03/05/2022).
Russian Ports:
- Operation of all Russian ports based in the North-Eastern Black Sea are continuing in a routine manner, including Novorossiysk, Kavkaz, Taman, Tuapse.
- Novorossiysk has no operational restrictions for the port or the oil terminals.
- Taman and its adjacent STS area of Kavakaz are, at present, considered safe to call.
- Azov Sea is closed for all commercial vessels although Russian ports there are operational.
- No specific or extra requirement over the standard outward clearance from the authorities is expected at this time.
- There have been reports of Russian border authorities questioning Ukrainian crew at the ports of Vladivostok, Kaliningrad, Primorsk, Vysotsk and Murmansk.
Surrounding Regions:
- Reports of mines drifting south from Odessa/Ukraine to other areas of the Black Sea with confirmation mines have been sighted and safely destroyed near Romania and Turkey (29/03/2022). Vessels are recommended to have sharp lookouts when sailing in this region.
- General operations in the surrounding areas of Turkey, Georgia, Bulgaria and Romania remain unaffected at this time.
- Russian vessels are banned from berthing in Georgia and Gibraltar.
- Reports of stevedores globally refusing to unload Russian cargo including Sweden and some ports in the US, irrespective of sanctions.
Sanctions:
- The UK, EU and US have imposed various sanctions on Russian individuals and entities including Novorossiysk Commercial Sea Port (NCSP) which operates terminals at ports of Novorossiysk (Black Sea), Primorsk and Kaliningrad (Baltic Sea).
- No regional sanctions on Russia as a whole.
- The UK has implemented new sanctions banning the entry of Russian linked vessels to UK ports (GOV.UK).
- Australia has imposed further sanctions on Russia and the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine - Russia/Ukraine Sanctions Regimes (dfat.gov.au). Thursday 10 March 2022, a designation was issued which prohibits the import of oil, refined petroleum products, natural gas, coal and other energy products from Russia. Monday 21st March 2022, this has now extended to Aluminium Ores to Russia.