‘Cold-blooded killing of sailors’ shows ‘brazen disregard’ for the IMO, says Ukraine

Measures taken by the International Maritime Organization to force Russia to follow established maritime rules have not worked, and tougher action is needed against countries and flag states, Ukraine says.

Russia has intensified attacks against merchant ships despite 30 months of extraordinary measures taken by the global shipping regulator, with 56 ships sunk or damaged in the ports and waters of Ukraine, according to government officials.

Deadly Russian air strikes damage two merchant ships in Odesa, Ukraine says

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In a submission to the IMO, Ukraine said it had warned that shipowners, operators and masters risked criminal and civil penalties if vessels entered Ukraine’s occupied ports. But the practice continued with ships flagged by IMO member states, it said.

The government is particularly concerned about a wave of attacks against merchant vessels docked at Ukraine’s ports, using high-precision ballistic missiles that are likely to deviate only up to seven metres from their targets.

“It is difficult to conceive any explanation for the accuracy of these strikes other than targeted and pre-planned attacks on merchant vessels by the Russian Federation Government,” it said, citing attacks against four vessels since 20 September that killed 11 sailors and port workers and injured 16.

The Antigua & Barbuda-flagged 6,300-dwt Golden Lion (built 2006), carrying a cargo of metal, was damaged on 20 September at Odesa port, injuring four people, said the submission. The Kremlin claimed that the Golden Lion was carrying arms.

Russia’s defence ministry has also acknowledged deliberately targeting the 6,300-dwt Paresa (built 1992), which was damaged by shrapnel on 6 October. Its Greece-based manager, AK Shipping, denied Moscow’s claims that the general cargo vessel had brought weapons into Ukraine and said it ballasted to Ukraine to load corn.

The 5,800-dwt Optima (built 2008) was damaged in another attack on the Odesa terminal on 7 October in which a 60-year-old Ukrainian port worker died. Four sailors were seriously injured, with one in a coma at a hospital in Odesa, said Ukraine.

The Panama-flagged, 1,679-teu Shui Spirit (built 2000) was targeted in a double missile strike on 9 October at the Chornomorsk container terminal near Odesa, killing a seafarer and nine port workers, Ukraine said.

Its submission said the “cold-blooded killing of sailors” and the use of Crimean seaports to export stolen Ukrainian grain reflect a “brazen and brutal disregard” for the IMO and its members.

It called for action against flag states of vessels involved in the trade of smuggled grain.

The submission to the IMO came as another branch of Ukraine’s government published the names of 31 masters that it said were involved in the trade. Ukraine has listed 407 ships on its War & Sanctions website.

Insufficiently effective

Ukraine believes an international monitoring mission to the ports of the Odesa region could play a critical role in securing safer maritime operations and has asked IMO secretary general Arsenio Dominguez to look into it.

It said measures already introduced by the IMO to ensure Moscow’s compliance with its international obligations are “insufficiently effective”.

“It is also important to honestly recognise that the internationally recognised regime of maritime trade established in 1948 is currently under immense threat,” it added.

It said it could supply details of the vessels entering occupied Ukrainian ports so that states could carry out investigations.

Kyiv wants the IMO’s decision-making council to introduce measures at its next meeting in November to ensure that governments, flag states and port control fulfil their obligations under maritime conventions.

Russia has hit back against claims that it was undermining global trade, and on Wednesday accused the UK of using the Black Sea grain corridor to transport arms to Ukraine.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that attacks against Ukraine’s port infrastructure had prevented grain supplies to vulnerable populations in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova described those claims as “baseless”.