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No Change in the Sea of Azov: The Duration of Artificial Delays of Vessels in the Kerch Strait. The Monitoring for August 2020

Andrii KLYMENKO
Tetyana GUCHAKOVA
Olha KORBUT

The Monitoring Group of BlackSeaNews and the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies

The Monitoring Group of the Black Sea Institute of Strategic Studies and BlackSeaNews wishes to bring to your attention the latest in a series of our monthly studies on Russia's economic war against Ukraine in the Sea of Azov.

1. In August 2020, the average duration of artificial delays of vessels going from the Black Sea to Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov, Mariupol and Berdiansk, by the RF was 21.2 hours. This figure was almost the same as in July 2020. The yearly average for 2019 was 29.9 hours, in April 2020 – 16.6 hours, in May – 10.1 hours, in June – 11.6 hours, in July – 21.4 hours. See Chart 1.

Chart 1

 

25% of the vessels entered the Ukrainian ports on the Sea of Azov in a mode that can be considered normal, that is with a delay of 0-6 hours. In June, this proportion was 55.3%, in July – 35.7%.

27 out of 96 vessels (28%) were waiting for permission to pass through the Kerch Strait for 30-77 hours. The examples of the longest delays of vessels bound for the ports of Mariupol or Berdiansk are given in Table 1.

Name of the vessel

ІМО

Arrival date/time

Departure date/time

Duration. hrs

Flag Shipowner’s country

Destination

CRISNIK

8203529

30.07 08-00

02.08 13-00

77

Togo

 

(UA) Berdyansk

ISLAND BAY

7528790

31.07 04-00

01.08 23-00

43

Togo

Lebanon

(UA) Mariupol

SAKAR

9104811

02.08 11-00

04.08 00-00

37

Bulgaria

Bulgaria

(UA) Mariupol

MOHAMMED BEY

8110411

05.08. 03-00

07.08 18-00

63

Belize

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

BAKAN

9136840

07.08 02-00

08.08 13-00

35

Malta

Turkey

(UA) Berdyansk

MEHMET AGA

8914312

07.08 01-00

08.08 14-00

37

Panama

Turkey

(UA) Berdyansk

ANT

9412311

08.08 21-00

11.08 18-00

69

Vanuatu

Marshall Islands

(UA) Berdyansk

F. ARSLAN V

9139115

08.08 19-00

10.08 11-00

40

Antigua and Barbuda

Germany

(UA) Mariupol

SAXONA

9371024

08.08 21-00

11.08 19-00

70

Liberia

Austria

(UA) Mariupol

PEACE

9553983

09.08 06-00

10.08 12-00

30

Bulgaria

Bulgaria

(UA) Mariupol

DOST-1

9001148

09.08 05-00

11.08 18-00

61

Cook islands

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

MEHMET DADAYLI-1

9352157

09.08 21-00

11.08 18-00

45

Panama

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

ARMONIA

9017628

09.08 13-00

11.08 18-00

53

Panama

Greece

(UA) Berdyansk

NIKITI II

9197064

10.08 02-00

11.08 12-00

34

Panama

Greece

(UA) Mariupol

BEHCET C

9503744

10.08 04-00

11.08 20-00

40

Panama

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

CARINA

8908545

10.08 06-00

11.08 17-00

35

Dominica

Malta

(UA) Berdyansk

UNI - K

9159579

11.08 06-00

13.08 21-00

63

Togo

Egypt

(UA) Berdyansk

ADAM A

7916997

12.08 02-00

13.08 15-00

37

Sierra Leone

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

VALMIERA

8203660

12.08 17-00

14.08 11-00

44

Palau

Marshall Isl

(UA) Berdyansk

MOHAC

9251042

14.08 16-00

16.08 02-00

34

Panama

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

SEA GLORY

8209626

20.08 19-00

22.08 14-00

41

Palau

Egypt

(UA) Berdyansk

SEA BREEZE

8915184

22.08 15-00

24.08 13-00

46

Togo

Lebanon

(UA) Mariupol

GLORIA 1905

9148233

23.08 06-00

24.08 13-00

31

Panama  

Turkey

(UA) Mariupol

AK PIONEER

9189718

23.08 06-00

24.08 12-00

30

Panama

Greece

(UA) Mariupol

JOY M

8902931

24.08 12-00

25.08 18-00

30

Panama

Romania

(UA) Mariupol

BRAVE WARRIOR

7208728

29.08 20-00

31.08 22-00

50

Lebanon

Lebanon

(UA) Berdyansk

ICEL

8105428

30.08 14-00

01.09 03-00

35

Moldova

Greece

(UA) Mariupol


2. In August 2020, vessels carrying exports from Mariupol and Berdiansk were delayed at the exit from the Sea of Azov by the Russian Federation for an average of 27.8 hours. That was slightly less than in July. The yearly average for 2019 was 37.4 hours, in April 2020 – 19.9 hours, in May – 14.5 hours, in June – 14.8 hours, in July – 35.3 hours. See Chart 2.

Chart 2

 

50 vessels carrying exports from Mariupol and Berdiansk (37.9%) were waiting for permission to pass through the Kerch Strait for 30-106 hours. The examples of the longest delays of vessels going from the ports of Mariupol or Berdiansk are given in Table 2.

Name of the vessel

ІМО

Arrival date/time

Departure date/time

Duration. hrs

Flag Shipowner’s country

Destination

ATA 2

9387669

01.08 12-00

03.08 09-00

45

Togo

Lebanon

(IT) Brindisi

MEGA SUN

8308006

31.07 22-00

02.08 22-00

48

Turkey

Turkey

(TN) Sfax

ANNABELLA

8919788

31.07 02-00

02.08 21-00

67

Comoros

Marshall Is.

(LB) Khalde

FK SARAY

7920261

31.07 16-00

02.08 21-00

53

Moldova

Lebanon

(EG) Abu Kir

AKOMENA

9662485

31.07 17-00

02.08 23-00

54

Malta

Bulgaria

(DE) Rostock

ORCUN C

9499436

01.08 11-00

03.08 06-00

43

Panama

Turkey

(TR) Aliaga

BRAVE WARRIOR

7208728

01.08 08-00

03.08 06-00

46

Lebanon

Lebanon

(EG) Alexandria

OMAR TRADER

7713175

04.08 07-00

07.08 15-00

80

Comoros

Egypt

(EG) Abu Kir

SUN S

9473975

04.08 07-00

07.08 22-00

87

Panama

Turkey

(NL) Berlicum

DAYTONA-H

8520836

04.08 10-00

07.08 14-00

76

Comoros

Lebanon

(TR) Diliskelesi

TENACITY

8819732

05.08 15-00

07.08 22-00

55

Comoros

Lebanon

(TR) Samsun

RAHAF MOON

7721885

04.08 14-00

07.08 22-00

80

Togo

Greece

(TR) Diliskelesi

HARMONY S

9211107

05.08 02-00

07.08 15-00

61

Panama

Turkey

(IL) Haifa

SUKRET

9109550

06.08 13-00

07.08 22-00

33

Turkey

Turkey

(EG) Alexandria

SU

9116084

06.08 20-00

08.08 10-00

38

Barbados

Marshall Islands

(IL) Haifa

LUCKY BROTHER

7917006

08.08 06-00

11.08 15-00

81

Palau  

Greece

(LB) Beirut

ATA 1

9378010

09.08 10-00

11.08 23-00

37

Panama

Turkey

(TN) Gabes

ISLAND BAY

7528790

10.08 13-00

12.08 00-00

35

Togo

Lebanon

(EG) Alexandria

SELAM

9418286

10.08 00-00

11.08 22-00

46

Malta

Turkey

(ES) Cartagena

FG LEVENT

9173446

09.08 11-00

11.08 09-00

46

Panama

Turkey

(GR) Rethymnon

GRAIN GLORY

8907577

10.08 23-00

12.08 17-00

42

Cook Is.

Turkey

(LY) Abu Kammash

AMADORE

8520824

11.08 05-00

12.08 17-00

36

Malta

Ukraine

(TR) Iskenderun

ANNETTA

9396543

11.08 05-00

12.08 17-00

36

Malta

Ukraine

(TR) Eregli

FEDERAL BEAUFORT

9697818

09.08 01-00

11.08 14-00

61

Marshall Is.

Canada

(GB) Barton

TAILWIND

8908868

10.08 08-00

12.08 00-00

40

Liberia

Estonia

(UA) Odessa

TEVFIK BEY

9383326

09.08 15-00

10.08 15-00

24

Malta

Turkey

(IL) Haifa

SEA LORD

8314885

11.08 13-00

12.08 19-00

30

Belize

Marshall Is.

(IT) Ravenna

NS ANGELA

9071076

12.08 14-00

14.08 14-00

48

Panama

Albania

(EG) Alexandria

CRISNIK

8203529

11.08 00-00

12.08 10-00

34

Togo

 

(TR) Mersin

LILY-HA

8116972

14.08 03-00

15.08 18-00

39

Togo

Lebanon

(LY) Bingazi

ANT

9412311

16.08 02-00

17.08 11-00

33

Vanuatu

Marshall Islands

(TR) Ambarli

UMIT G

9041124

18.08 11-00

19.08 17-00

30

Turkey

Turkey

(TR) Mersin

JASMIN QUEEN

9109861

19.08 04-00

20.08 16-00

36

Togo

Lebanon

(LB) Beirut

LADY SPERANZA

9200574

21.08 07-00

22.08 18-00

35

Barbados

Lebanon

(LY) Tripoli

ADAM A

7916997

21.08 09-00

23.08 09-00

48

Sierra Leone

Turkey

(EG) Alexandria

MAR BIANCO

8115576

22.08 06-00

26.08 16-00

106

Moldova

Egypt

(LB) Tripoli

NACI SELIMOGLU

9382059

22.08 13-00

26.08 15-00

98

Barbados

Turkey

(TR) BARTIN

SIYA

9442108

22.08 01-00

23.08 09-00

32

Panama  

Turkey

(TR) Iskenderun

MOHAC

9251042

24.08 03-00

27.08 01-00

70

Panama

Turkey

(GR) Kalamaki

AREL 1

9071650

25.08 04-00

26.08 22-00

42

Turkey

Turkey

(TR) Iskenderun

ADASUN

9306445

25.08 20-00

27.08 22-00

50

Liberia

Turkey

(IL) HAifa

DAKOTA

9349980

27.08 10-00

28.08 17-00

31

Malta

Turkey

(EG) Alexandria

PHOENIX

9558490

27.08 08-00

28.08 18-00

34

Bulgaria

Bulgaria

(IT) Monfalcone

BRAVE WARRIOR

7208728

29.08 20-00

31.08 22-00

50

Lebanon

Lebanon

(TR) Mersin

JOY M

8902931

31.08 05-00

01.09 17-00

36

Panama

Romania

(TR) Iskenderun

FK SARAY

7920261

30.08 05-00

31.08 23-00

42

Moldova

Lebanon

(EG) Alexandria

ABDULLATIF

8902929

30.08 21-00

01.09 17-00

44

Belize

Turkey

(LY) Misurata

SEA BREEZE

8915184

30.08 05-00

01.09 17-00

60

Togo

Lebanon

(TR) Aliaga

ANGEL M

8408648

30.08 14-00

01.09 18-00

52

Comoros

Turkey

(LY) Khoms

SIFTERI

9452323

30.08 06-00

01.09 02-00

44

Marshall Is

Georgia

(TR) Icdas


 

From 22 October 2018 to September 2020, there were no open sea detentions of vessels in the Sea of Azov on the move from/to Berdiansk and Mariupol due to the fact that the Ukrainian Navy’s boats were escorting the vessels – see Figure 3.

Figure 3

* * *

Conclusions. The duration of artificial delays of "Mariupol" and "Berdiansk" vessels before obtaining permission to pass through the Kerch Strait in August 2020 confirms our conclusion made last month that the effect of fear of infection with the COVID-19 virus by the Coast Guard of the FSB Border Service (which led to a decrease in inspections) is over.  

 

* * *

For reference: the areas where freedom of navigation was violated are marked on the map – see Figure 4.

Figure 4

* * *

This publication has been produced with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors.