Tag: Ukraine

Demand for maritime connectivity has escalated over the past week as seafarers want to call home, reports digital communications specialist IEC Telecom.

Reporting from the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported that the Panamanian flagged cargo vessel Helt has been struck whilst anchored 23nm ESE Odesa Port.

There is a high risk of collateral damage on civilian shipping in the north-western part of the Black Sea, while there are several open source reports of civilian ships being hit directly or indirectly as a result of the acts of war in the north western Black Sea.

The Joint Negotiating Group (JNG) and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) have designated areas in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as ‘Warlike Operations Areas’ triggering an increased security level and other entitlements for seafarers in the war zone.

Fears continue to rise for the ships caught in the fighting in Ukraine, as reports from Bangladesh indicate that a third engineer was killed by an artillery or missile attack near Mykolaiv.

Shipping needs to focus on its international nature and pull together at this difficult time, an emergency meeting of ship managers agreed today, according to InterManager.

The conflict in Ukraine has prompted the European Union and other bodies to impose a number of sanctions on Russia. The extensive import of energy (crude oil, oil products, LNG, coal) is not (yet) affected by sanctions, but the export and transhipment of containers in particular suffers from the uncertainty caused by the conflict and the sanctions, the Port of Rotterdam announced.

On March 1st, the United States and 30 other countries that are members of the International Energy Agency (IEA) committed to releasing a total of 60 million barrels of oil from strategic reserves in an effort to stabilise the global energy markets, in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.  

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company announced that as of 1 March, with immediate effect, a temporary stoppage on all cargo bookings to/from Russia is taking place, covering all access areas including Baltics, Black Sea and Far East Russia.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps MP must provide clarity on how seafarers will be affected by Russian ships being banned from entering UK ports, The Merchant Navy Welfare Board (MNWB) has urged.