Around 80 foreign vessels are blocked in Ukrainian ports

MONDAY, 27 JUNE 2022, 17:51 – DANA HORDIICHUK

There are still about 80 foreign-flagged vessels loaded with goods in Ukrainian ports that have been blocked due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine.

Source: Dmytro Barinov, deputy head of the Seaport Administration, at a briefing at the Ukraine Media Centre

"There are about 80 blocked foreign vessels in our ports, with crews on board. Some evacuated at the beginning, others were replaced by Ukrainian sailors because a vessel cannot be left unsupervised. The goods remain on board, but the vessels cannot leave the ports under these circumstances," says Barinov.

Barinov also commented on the news that a vessel may be leaving the port in occupied Mariupol. He said that this information needs to be confirmed, as there is no communication with the vessel.

Background:

A second vessel has entered the port of Mariupol under the Russian flag, and it is now being moored in order to be loaded with rolled metal.

The Russian occupiers are attempting to partially restore the port in occupied Mariupol, where Ukrainian metal and grain are being stored. This is a sign that the Russians are planning to export the stolen Ukrainian grain.

According to Ihor Barskyi, director of the port of Mariupol, as of 23 February there were about 200,000 tonnes of metal and cast iron worth $170 million on the territory of the port. The amount of grain was significantly lower – 3,400 tonnes in storage and another 9,000 tonnes on a foreign-flagged vessel near one of the docks.