Ukraine Condemns Chinese Vessel For Repeated Calls At Occupied Sevastopol

A Chinese-owned cargo ship has repeatedly docked at the Russian-occupied port of Sevastopol in Crimea, despite international sanctions that prohibit foreign vessels from calling there.

The development, reported by the Financial Times on Sept. 23 using satellite images, photographs, and transponder data, has caused strong protests from Ukraine.

The ship, Heng Yang 9, sails under the flag of Panama and is operated by the Guangxi Changhai Shipping Company in China. Ukrainian officials confirmed that the ship has been in Sevastopol at least three times in recent months, including visits in June, August, and most recently on Sept. 14.

The latest voyage began in Istanbul on Sept. 2. The ship was later tracked near the Russian port of Novorossiysk on Sept. 6. Although the crew reported it was heading to Port Kavkaz east of Crimea, European Space Agency satellite images from Sept. 9 and 11 showed the vessel diverting instead to Sevastopol. It ultimately docked there on Sept. 14. According to reports, the ship deliberately falsified its transponder data during the two-week journey across the Black Sea to disguise its true location.

Ukrainian authorities said the vessel likely carried goods from the occupied Donetsk and Kherson regions, which are known for heavy industry and agriculture, before moving on to Turkey and Egypt.

Kyiv strongly condemned the ship’s repeated visits to Crimea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine described the repeated entries as a “gross violation” of both Ukrainian law and international norms. Ministry spokesman Heorhiy Tykhy said the vessel’s decision to broadcast false coordinates confirmed that the violations were deliberate.

Tykhy added that the port calls ignored Ukraine’s sovereignty and breached international rules, including UN General Assembly Resolution 68/262 on Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

After the first visit in June, Ukraine’s embassy in Beijing lodged an official protest with China’s Foreign Ministry. According to Ukrainian officials, Beijing responded by saying it would look into the matter and reminded Chinese companies to avoid business in occupied territories.

Kyiv has now sent another formal note to Beijing and also informed the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) of the incidents. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has also warned that sanctions may be imposed against individuals or companies involved in these violations.

Ukraine’s sanctions envoy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, said that Kyiv expects all international partners to avoid any dealings with occupied territories and has made this clear to China. He added that while China publicly supports Ukraine’s territorial integrity, its deepening cooperation with Russia is concerning.

Similar violations have been reported in the past. Ships such as the Palau-flagged General, Germany’s MS Sudkap, and the Greek tanker Kriti have previously been tracked docking in Crimea despite sanctions.

Earlier this month, China received its first cargo of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia’s Arctic LNG-2 project, which faces U.S. sanctions. Within three weeks, five more tankers had delivered additional cargoes, with no steps taken by U.S. to stop them.

Ukrainian officials have also raised concerns that China has become a leading supplier of dual-use components used in Russian weapons production, helping Moscow bypass Western restrictions. Kyiv has repeated that it reserves the right to respond to violations of its sovereignty and urged China to prevent its vessels from entering Crimean ports again.

References: Interfax, The Moscow Times

Source: Maritime Shipping News