Reports of two additional merchant vessels hit by missiles in the Black Sea and merchant vessels detained in the Black Sea and English Channel, as UN and IMO call for ’end to hostilities’
Multiple vessels have now been damaged, with casualties reported and others detained, as the Russia-led conflict in Europe continues to spill over into commercial spheres.
Reports over the weekend of vessels being hit by missiles in the vicinity of Odessa, on Ukraine’s Black Sea coast, follow the 24 February report of Turkey-owned bulker vessel Yasa Jupiter being hit by a Russian missile as it transited the Black Sea between Odessa and Romanian waters.
Dryad Global posted advisories on 25 February based on the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority, a state-backed strategic maritime trade enterprise organisation, which reported Panama-flagged bulk carrier Namura Queen took a hit to its stern from a Russian missile at Yuzhny port, east of Odessa and Moldova-flagged bunker vessel Millennial Spirit was hit by two missiles in the vicinity of Odessa.
"According to the PRRS South and the service of the port captain of the southern branch of Administration of the Seaports of Ukraine, at anchorage N358 of Yuzhny port a missile hit the stern of the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Namura Queen ([IMO:] 9841299). [P&O-operated tugboat] Star is understood to be alongside and assisted in the rescue. Dryad Global can confirm that two P&O vessels operated in vicinity to the Namura Queen at the time of the alleged incident," the security service said.
"A second report has been received indicating that the port captain of the Odessa branch of the State Enterprise in the anchorage 355, two missiles hit the Moldova-flagged bunker vessel Millennial Spirit (IMO: 7392610)."
Dryad said its reports are unconfirmed, however, Lloyd’s List Intelligence (LLI) has reported the same two incidents and publication Lloyd’s List reported sources including LLI confirming one injury on board Namura Queen and two serious injuries to crew on board Millennial Spirit.
Vessel valuation website VesselsValue lists Millennial Spirit as a small clean tanker of 2,200 dwt, built in 1974 and owned by Malta-registered Millennial Energy Trading. The vessel’s AIS shows it at anchor in the Black Sea off the coast from Odessa, with no destination listed.
VesselsValue lists Namura Queen as a Panamax-sized, 85,100-dwt bulk carrier vessel built in May 2020 for Japan’s Nissen Kaiun Company, Ltd. The vessel’s AIS shows it moored since 27 February in the Sea of Marmara, in Turkish waters, with the captain’s destination of Besiktas Shipyard in Yalova, Turkey.
Following a strike on 61,100-dwt, Turkey-owned bulk carrier Yasa Jupiter on 24 February, in which agricultural tradiing giant Cargill said there were no casualties, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan issued condemnation of Russia’s activities in Ukraine, calling the Russian military invasion ’unacceptable’ and calling for dialogue to settle the dispute within the bounds of the Minsk agreement international treaty.
Turkey has also announced it will restrict the movements of Russian war ships through its Bosphorus Strait, the entry point to the Black Sea from the Mediterranean Sea and the Sea of Marmara, under the Montreux Convention international treaty, limiting Russian ships to passage only when returning to base.
Dryad Global advised "all commercial operators to avoid any transit or operation within the EEZ [exclusive economic zone] of Ukraine or Russia, in the vicinity of the Crimean Peninsula within the Black Sea. The Black Sea ports of the Russian Federation are functioning normally. All transits inbound Western terminals should be made out with Ukrainian and Russian EEZ south of the Crimean Peninsula. Commercial operations within the EEZ of Turkey, Bulgaria and Romania remain unaffected at this time, however the Romanian Ministry of Defence has also announced that Russian military ships are diverting and stopping commercial ships en-route to Ukrainian ports north of Romania’s EEZ, and as such, vessels are advised to avoid transiting within 50 nautical miles of the NE extremity of the Romanian EEZ."
Dryad Global advised on further unconfirmed reports, citing Ukrainian Government allegations of Russian piracy, that at least two civilian vessels had been detained by Russian naval forces in the waters around Snake Island where fierce fighting has taken place in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"A statement by the Ukrainian Government said following the announcement of a “counter-terrorist operation” in the northwestern part of the Black Sea, Russian navy vessels have captured two Ukrainian civilian vessels. The statement points out this is in defiance with norms and convention of international law," Dryad Global said.
The vessels allegedly stopped by Russian forces were Ukraine-flagged Athena, whose shipowner "immediately informed all the competent authorities in Ukraine" and 28,200-dwt, Lebanon-flagged Ukraine-owned Handy-sized vessel Princess Nicole. It is being widely reported that Russian naval vessels are stopping a significant proportion of vessels transiting the Kerch Strait.
France has also reportedly detained one of the first vessels’ to face direct sanctions from the US. Reuters and others have reported roro car carrier Baltic Leader was en route to St Petersburg in the early morning hours of 26 February when it was diverted to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer in northern France.
Captain Veronique Magnin of the French Maritime Prefecture told Reuters the vessel was "strongly suspected of being linked to Russian interests targeted by the sanctions".
The US Treasury Department issued blocking sanctions against the Russia-flagged vessel, saying it is owned by a subsidiary of Russian lender Promsvyazbank, PSB Leasing LLC, one of the Russian entities to face US and European Union sanctions.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for an end to hostilities and IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim said, "shipping, particularly seafarers, cannot be collateral victims in a larger political and military crisis – they must be safe and secure".
"I am gravely concerned about the spill over effects of the military action in Ukraine on global shipping, and logistics and supply chains, in particular the impacts on the delivery of commodities and food to developing nations and the impacts on energy supplies. Along with the people of Ukraine, innocent ships, seafarers and port workers engaged in legitimate trade should not be adversely impacted by this growing crisis," IMO’s secretary general said.
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