Losses from the Mechanic Pogodin detention this year totaled US$ 2.5M, owner says

The losses caused by idle time of the Mechanic Pogodin illegally detained in Ukraine August 10, 2018 totaled in excess of US$ 2.5 million over the past year, Volga Shipping Company JSC, the owner of the tanker, said.

The ship is being held at the pier in the basin of Kherson Port. The vessel owner Volga Shipping Company has filed several appeals with a request for permission for the tanker departure but all of them were dismissed.

Volga Shipping Company on July 30 sent an official appeal to the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. The owner believes, the decision to free the ship is a competence at the level of the country’s president.

The Mechanic Pogodin tanker was illegally detained on August 10, 2018 by the authorities of Ukraine while transporting a HPGO cargo to Maddox SA (Switzerland) and Maddox Ukraine (Ukraine). The detention was carried out in violation of the “International Convention on the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to the Arrest of Ships”, the owner said.

In accordance with the Merchant Shipping Code of Ukraine, the master of the tanker Mechanic Pogodin three days before arrival submitted to the port a call notice and received permission from the Harbourmaster administration through an agent, the Ukrainian company Inflot-Kherson. There were no notifications and additional requests from the SBU of Ukraine or the Port Authority. After the vessel moored at the pier the customs banned unloading the cargo and Harbourmaster issued ban on leaving the port. The legal grounds for detention provided for by both international and Ukrainian law have not been presented, Volga Shipping says.