World’s Largest Shipping Firm Suspends Russian Port of Novorossiysk’s Bookings After Ship Attack
MSC has stopped new cargo bookings to and from Novorossiysk, Russia, after a drone hit its container ship MSC Ulsan III.
The ship was hit while sailing from Novorossiysk to Tekirdağ, Türkiye. MSC said it is watching the security situation and will restart its weekly service when it is safe.
MSC has asked customers to contact its Russian office about other options for moving cargo. The company still operates through other Russian ports, including St. Petersburg.
Martin Kelly, who heads advisory at EOS Risk Group, said the ship was hit on Aug. 25 after leaving Novorossiysk.
No injuries were reported, and the ship continued sailing.
AIS data showed the ship later entered the Sea of Marmara and was off Tekirdağ. The damage is not known. No one has officially said who carried out the attack.
Attacks on commercial ships
The attack on MSC Ulsan III follows other attacks on commercial ships in the Black Sea.
On Aug. 21, RMS Team was hit by a drone while heading to Novorossiysk, the Ukrainian News Agency reported.
The Turkish vessel can carry about 1,100 TEUs and has a deadweight of 12,968 tonnes. The vessel caught fire, and one seafarer was missing.
Earlier this month, the Fesco-operated containership Yanina was hit by two drones about 130 miles from Novorossiysk and sank. The ship had a deadweight of about 13,000 tonnes.
Fesco and Turkish operator Kalyon then stopped all Black Sea sailings.
Ukraine has also said that it attacked five grain carriers at Novorossiysk and Tuapse on Aug. 17-18.
The attacks came after Russian strikes on ships in Ukraine’s Black Sea ports. Russia said it was targeting vessels carrying military supplies.
Oil and grain operations also affected
Other activities around Novorossiysk have also been affected.
Ukraine struck an oil terminal earlier this month. It later agreed to stop attacking international tankers heading to or loading at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium’s offshore terminal near Novorossiysk.
Some grain terminals at the port have also stopped operating.
Attacks on Black Sea ports and commercial ships have increased since July.
MSC continues to serve other Russian ports
MSC still has limited operations in Russia after reducing its presence following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
International shipping companies that still serve Russian ports mainly carry goods such as food, clothing and medicine.
MSC has a fleet with a total capacity of about 7 million TEUs, according to media reports. It was the first shipping line to reach that capacity.
An employee at MSC’s St. Petersburg office confirmed that the company had stopped its Novorossiysk operations.
Shipping to Ukraine also disrupted
Maersk said on July 22 that it was temporarily stopping its service to Chornomorsk because of security concerns at the port. It said ships would be sent to Romania and that it was looking at land routes for deliveries.
Hapag-Lloyd followed on July 31, saying its feeder operators had temporarily stopped services to ports in Ukraine’s Black Sea region.
Container shipping to Ukraine resumed in 2024 after being halted when the war began.
MSC Ulsan III
MSC Ulsan III is a Panama-flagged container ship built in 2004. It can carry about 2,700 TEUs and has a deadweight of 39,611 tonnes.
MSC has operated the ship since 2022. It was carrying cargo from Novorossiysk to Tekirdağ when the drone hit it.
The ship continued sailing and later reached the Sea of Marmara.
MSC has not said when its Novorossiysk service will restart. Customers can contact its Russian office for other shipping options.
References: container-news, port news
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