A Russian Government Order that is restricting the entry of Ukrainian nationals into Russia, as of today has come into force.
The order prescribes that Ukrainian citizen, older than 14 years, who come into the Russian Federation, not from countries other than Ukraine, may enter only through Moscow airport “Sheremetievo” and one more crossing point in the middle of Russia, which means the same actions may be performed in all Russian ports.
According to the local agents, from 16 October if a Ukrainian citizen is serving on board a vessel calling at a Russian port, the authorities will:
- Place the subject vessel to the end of the queue for clearance, berthing and loading.
- Carry out an exhaustive inspection of the vessel and interview all crew members (not only Ukrainians)
This process is expected to result in delays of around 7 hours for each of inward and outward clearance. During this inspection, the berth/terminal area will be closed. As such, port operations will be suspended during this period. Some agents in Ust-Luga advise that Ukrainian crew will not be permitted to enter the port and perform cargo operations.
There is no clear understanding on what will happen if the Order is violated, and it is not yet clear whether any fines may be imposed. In any case, Ukrainians should be signed off before arrival at Russian ports to avoid delays.