THE Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) advised overseas shipping companies and seafarers to watch out for drifting mines in the Black Sea as a result of the Ukraine-Russia war.
Nannette Dinopol, deputy administrator for operations, alerted overseas shipping lines and other concerned maritime entities including seafarers on the new threat.Dinopol issued Marina Advisory 2022-28 following Turkey’s navigational alert (Navtex) for ships against drifted mines in the Black Sea region. The advisory was issued for seafarers, shipowners, bareboat charterers, ship operators, ship managers, shipmasters, officers and crew of the Philippine registered overseas ships, licensed manning agencies, recognized organizations, and concerned agencies.
Turkey’s Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure issued a Navtex regarding mines that are reportedly drifting in the Black Sea region, particularly in the ports of Odessa, Ochakiv, Chornomorsk and Yuzhny in Southern Ukraine.
“Notice is given to warn all ships in the vicinity to be mindful and to keep a sharp lookout on this serious threat to maritime safety and the lives of seafarers. Any detection of drifted mines or mine-like objects are requested to be immediately reported to the Turkish Radio, Turkish Main Search and Rescue Coordination Center, Turkish Naval Forces, and Turkish Coast Guard,” it said.
The Government of the Russian Federation has informed the International Maritime Organization (IMO) dated April 5, 2022 about the closure of maritime spaces in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.
The Russians stressed that all such closures had been conducted in full compliance with the provisions of the LIN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 to provide safety and security to merchant vessels and their crews. This was done in the view of dangerous and irresponsible steps undertaken by Ukraine in the region such as the mine-laying activities of the Military Forces of Ukraine.
The recent communication from Ukraine on March 30 struggles to shift the responsibility upon the Russian Federation for stray naval mines in the Black Sea as well as for the fact that the safe evacuation of merchant vessels in the Black Sea is not progressing.
Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of IMO received information from the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom saying the new sign of Russian propaganda is an attempt to “whitewash” its nate, by manipulating on the fate of peaceful seafarers and the ships blocked and repeatedly shelled by the Russian navy.
“The preconditions for the safe evacuation of ships, outlined by Ukraine during the 35th extraordinary session of the IMO Council as well as the 109th session of the Legal Committee, are clear — Russia must fully stop the hostilities, withdraw its troops and ensure the freedom and safety of navigation in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, including by carrying out mine-sweeping activities with the involvement of Black Sea littoral states,” the Embassy of Ukraine said.
