According to SeaNews’ sources, shipping in the Kerch Strait was practically unaffected by the situation in the Kerch Strait, when the Strait was closed for shipping after Ukrainian Navy ship trespassed the Russian border.
The Strait was closed on Sunday November 25 and opened again for commercial vessels as early as 3 a.m. on Monday November 26.
At present shipping in the Kerch Strait is as usual, according to SeaNews’ sources, and neither shipbrokers nor grain traders expect any disruptions.
Freight rates also were unaffected by the incident. According to Rufco shipbrokers, the freight market in the region is more likely to be influenced by the start of ice campaign in Rostov and Azov (w.e.f. November 26) and Yeisk (w.e.f. November 29).
‘We do not expect the Sunday event in the Kerch Strait to affect freight rates in the region’, Oleg Bolkhovityanov, MD of Rufco, told SeaNew.
‘We have yet to see how border control in the Kerch Strait will be organized during the icebreaking period and whether it will lead to longer waiting time, which will increase the turnaround time for vessels and push freight rates up’, he added.