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Crimea Ports Update 07-08-2014

SSM Roundel

Steamship Mutual

Published: August 01, 2014

Situation on the East of Ukraine

War operations are still in progress in the east of the country. Ukrainian national forces are pressing the terrorists’ detachments but with great efforts and sometimes with no success. Many people die daily on both sides. No one knows how long it will last but it’s already clear now that optimistic prognoses about completion of the antiterrorist operation in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions by the end of August are impracticable.

Ports of Ukraine

Port of Mariupol, which is situated in the Donetsk region, works in the usual manner. As well as all other Ukrainian ports – the political situation in the country causes neither delays nor unproductive stoppages in the ports’ operations/services.

We still receive numerous inquiries from the Shipowners, Managers and Operators regarding the Crimean ports – many of them want to know what ports belong to the annexed territory of Crimea. To answer such questions we would like to repeat that the Crimean ports are: Sevastopol, Kerch. Theodosia (or Feodosia), Yevpatoria and Yalta. If a ship calls any of these ports for loading, discharge, bunkering or other operations she should further refrain from calling at a Ukrainian port in order to avoid problems with Ukrainian authorities. More detailed information in this regard can be found in our previous notifications.

Loading of ships in the port of Kerch

We have already reported that in the port of Kerch loading of the ships is carried out at the Outer Roads, away from the port. We have information that the anchorage where the cargo operations are performed has been recently moved away from the shoreline and now is located beyond the 12 miles zone. It’s understood that no one made any official measurements and there is no official confirmation that the anchorage point of loading is not within the 12 miles zone, but if it’s really so then the ships under cargo operations at the anchorage of the port of Kerch cannot be considered as having called at a Crimean port and thus cannot get on the ‘Black List’ of such ships. I would also like to remind you that the loading of ships in the port of Kerch is carried out without passing of Immigration, Customs and Sanitary Clearance and without involvement of the respective authorities. Therefore, again, formally, such ships are not considered as having visited the port and the territory of Crimea.

 

This information is published with thanks to Igor Cherezov of Dias Marine Consultants.

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