+++ German shipowners are worried about their seafarers+++

Danger for German ships? German shipowners are worried that there will be a reaction from Moscow to the closure of western harbours to Russian ships. that ships as a bargaining chip in the Ukraine war.

"We fear possible countermeasures by the Russian side with regard to the closures of European ports for Russian ships ordered by the EU," said the President of the German Shipowners' Association (VDR), Gaby Bornheim. "There is a risk that our ships will be tied up in Russian harbours. We appeal not to allow seafarers and civilian merchant ships to become pawns in this conflict."

The EU states have previously decided to close EU ports to Russian ships, a step that will further disrupt Russian trade supplies. The USA and Canada have also already taken this step. Russian ships have been removed from registers around the world, refuelling has been refused and yachts belonging to oligarchs have been confiscated. Freight forwarders such as Kühne + Nagel and DHL have suspended their Russian business worldwide. Shipping companies such as Maersk, CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd have already cancelled their services to and from Russia as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions imposed on Russia.

As we have already reported, around 1,000 seafarers on more than 100 ships were trapped in the embattled harbours in the Black and Azov Seas in the crisis area when the conflict broke out. In February, German shipowners were still calling for seafarers to leave their ships quickly. The ships were stranded due to the danger of mines, pilots who were no longer able to navigate and delivery processes that were no longer functioning.