Ukraine called on IMO countries to deny access to ports to Russian vessels and release the “Galaxy Leader” crew
10.12.2024 - 16:42
The Ukrainian delegation delivered a speech during the 109th session of the Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
On December 2-6, 2024, representatives of the Shipping Administration took part in the work of the 109th session of the IMO Maritime Safety Committee, reported the head of the department, Yevgenii Ihnatenko.
The Ukrainian delegation informed the Committee about the security situation in the northwestern part of the Black Sea in the context of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation into Ukraine. They emphasized that Russia continues to attack Ukrainian port infrastructure and foreign merchant ships.
They separately emphasized that the shadow fleet continues to destabilize the Black and Azov sea region.
The Ukrainian side called on IMO member states to:
• prohibit access to their ports to vessels under the Russian flag, registration, ownership or use, as well as vessels transporting goods to/from closed ports in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine;
• facilitate effective monitoring of illegal activities in the aforementioned ports, in particular regarding the smuggling of stolen Ukrainian grain;
• continue to support the work of the special maritime corridor, including financing relevant IMO international technical assistance programs for Ukraine.
The position of the Ukrainian delegation was supported by Spain (on behalf of the EU), the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada, Japan, Norway, Australia and New Zealand.
In addition, the event discussed the situation in the Red Sea and the Strait of Aden. The crew of the Galaxy Leader vessel, including Ukrainian sailors, has been held captive by the Yemeni Houthis for more than a year. The Ukrainian side stressed the importance of its release and return to normal life.
The “Galaxy Leader” has been in Yemen since it was seized by Yemeni Houthis on November 19, 2023, while en route from Turkey to India.
The whereabouts of the 25 crew members are unknown, but they may well have been living on board the vessel the entire time. The UK-based Ray Car Carriers and the Philippine government have repeatedly called for the release of the crew members. Seventeen of the crew members are from the Philippines, three from Ukraine, two each from Bulgaria and Mexico, and one from Romania.
In August, the Philippine Foreign Ministry reported that several Filipino crew members were experiencing “significant health problems.” The report said they had symptoms of malaria.
As a reminder, the European Parliament had previously called for the release of a ship with Ukrainian sailors captured by the Houthis.
