The RF Federal Agency for Maritime and River Transport (Rosmorrechflot) denies blocking vessels heading to/from Ukrainian ports in the Kerch Strait.
‘That is not true. No limitations or, moreover, bans have been introduced for vessels transiting the Kerch Strait’, a spokesperson for Rosmorrechflot told SeaNews.
‘A storm warning has been announced, with SE wind 16-18 mps and +5C temperature, but vessels are navigating in both directions. However, due to the weather and wave conditions, not all of the ships that require pilotage can have pilots delivered to them, so their masters are waiting for the weather to improve at the anchorage’, he added.
Earlier Ukrainian infrastructure minister Vladimir Omelyan said that all in all 35 vessels are blocked in the area, 18 ships waiting to enter the Sea of Azov, and the rest in the ports of Mariupol and Berdyansk.
According to Rosmorrechflot, since Monday November 26 there were no vessels heading for Mariupol, and three ships transited the Kerch Strait from Mariupol. One ship transited the strait to Berdyansk and one ship from Berdyansk.