The frigate Esbern Snare will end its deployment at the Gulf of Guinea due to the challenges facing European security.
Esbern Snare had been deployed in Africa since late last year, as part of the European Union’s Coordinated Maritime Presence (CMP) mission in the area.
However, the frigate is returning to Europe, after challenges facing European security, as countries confront both peer threats and low-end security challenges overseas.
It will take approximately two weeks for HDMS Esbern Snare to transit back, and when it arrives back in Denmark, it will begin “emergency preparations” to contribute to the NATO Response Force (NRF) Maritime Component.
Denmark has been one of the stronger Western European supporters of Ukraine during the ongoing Crisis. Early last month, it announced that it would be deploying F-16s to Lithuania ahead of schedule and extending the deployment of a frigate to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1).
Regarding the situation in Ukraine generally and the sanctions imposed upon Russia (click here), the following additional sanctions have been introduced:
US Sanctions
- Otkritie and Novikombank (and their subsidiaries worldwide), and
- VTB Bank PJSC (VTB), Russia's second-largest bank, and 20 of its subsidiaries
EU Sanctions (as reported by EU Press Release)
Individual sanctions
Financial sanctions
Energy sector
Transport sector
Technology sector
The EU has imposed further restrictions on exports of dual-use goods and technology, as well as restrictions on exports of certain goods and technology which might contribute to Russia’s technological enhancement of its defence and security sector. This will include products such as semiconductors or cutting-edge technologies.
UK Sanctions
(a) All dual-use export licences to cover components which can be used for military purposes have been suspended with immediate effect and
(b) The United Kingdom will stop exports of high-tech items and oil refinery equipment in the next few days
This is a fast-developing situation and there may be other sanctions and details that we have not mentioned and/or are not yet available. Further News Alerts will follow on any additional sanctions that are implemented.
Full advisory at the following link.
https://www.londonpandi.com/knowledge/news-alerts/ukraine-local-and-sanctions-update-of-24-february/The Ukrainian armed forces made a post on social media claiming that the Romanian-flagged bunkering vessel Millenium Spirit was hit off Odessa by a Russian ship.
At this point information is still being confirmed, with the Ukrainian armed forces noting that there has been no communication with the vessel, providing no further details.
Earlier, regarding another incident, RIA Novosti had quoted a message from the border service stating that at 11:00hrs UTC 24 February 22, in the Sea of Azov, 21nm South of Mariupol, Russian civilian cargo ships SGV-FLOT and SERAPHIM SAROVSKIY were subjected to a missile attack by the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
However, Dryad notes that details regarding the events surrounding these vessels remain unclear.
The Chinese Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and General Administration of Customs has recently jointly issued a notice on the remote prevention and control of the COVID-19 epidemic for the crew on ships on international voyages.
For vessels planning on making crew changes in the PRC, the notice sets forth the requirements for seafarers to conduct onboard COVID-19 testing prior to arrival.
All shipboard personnel are required to be tested before the ship leaving the last foreign port before its outbound voyage to the first port of arrival in China.
During the voyage, testing of all shipboard personnel has to be performed on the first, fourth, seventh and fourteenth days of the voyage as applicable depending upon the duration of the voyage.
Ideally, the tests should be executed using a nucleic acid test (NAT), a form of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, but the use of rapid test kits is acceptable. Arrangements should be made by vessel operators in advance to obtain the required number of test kits on board.