The Russian Maritime Register of Shipping signed a new agreement with the Maritime Administration of Cyprus, expanding the scope of authority delegated to the Russian Maritime Register for the inspection of ships flying the flag of Cyprus.
Arctic Circle talks about the Northern Sea Route, lying between Arctic waters and within Russia’s exclusive economic zone. The Route has seen a significant economic growth the last years, which also affected population change, which in this area chooses to leave for the hinterland.
Ukraine seized a Russian tanker moored in a river port near the Black Sea, in retaliation for Russia’s seizure of three Ukrainian vessels and arrest of 24 sailors in November 2018. According to Ukraine’s SBU security service, the country seized the Russian tanker ‘Nika Spirit’ in Izmail.
Russian natural gas producer Novatek announced that the Arc7 ice-class LNG tanker ‘Vladimir Rusanov’ completed the Northern Sea Route (NSR) passage via the Eastern direction, delivering a LNG cargo from the Yamal LNG project, at the port of Sabetta, to China’s port of Tianjin.
Russian natural gas producer Novatek announced the closing of the sale of participation interests in Arctic LNG 2 Project to subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, subsidiary of CNOOC, and the consortium of Mitsui & Co and Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (Japan Arctic LNG).
Following a late June alert regarding contaminated bunkers that were supplied in St. Petersburg, Russia, the Lloyd’s Register Fuel Oil Bunkering Analysis and Advisory Service (FOBAS) issued an update on 12 July, confirming presence of Carbon Tetrachloride in the contaminated fuels.
In light of the fire that took place in Russia’s secret submarine, which resulted to 14 sailors losing their lives, a high-ranking official, during the funeral ceremony, stated that ‘the 14 Russian sailors killed in last week’s nuclear submarine fire may have prevented a planetary catastrophe.’
According to the Russian Ministry of Defence, a fire broke out on one of the Russian navy’s deep-sea research submersibles resulting to the loss of 14 sailors who inhaled toxic fumes from the blaze. No additional information were provided by the Ministry.
A new trilateral agreement was signed on 6 June, within the framework of the St. Petersburg international economic forum, on the creation of the Bronka transport, aiming to make Saint-Petersburg a new transport hub, with a maximum cargo handling capacity.
Russia seized two cruise ships from the Canada-based cruise company One Ocean Expeditions, allegedly ‘without warning’. The cruise company has leased the two Russian-seized cruise vessels using them to transmit travellers on cruises through the Arctic and Antarctic.
