Russian vessel SMP Novodvinsk has left port in Szczecin after overhaul

According to information provided by online vessel-locating services, a Russian-owned SMP Novodvinsk cargo ship left Szczecin port on Thursday and took the course on St. Petersburg. This information was confirmed by a source of "Gazeta Wyborcza", which also reported about the ship's departure from Poland.

The vessel SMP Novodvinsk is a General Cargo Ship built in 2008 (14 years old) and currently sailing under the flag of Russia.

The ship had damaged its hull in the bow part, after it had run aground in the Szczecin Bay in January. It was hauled to the Szczecin port on February 18, and the repair began two days later. We informed about the ship being halted in the port on March 8.

We have asked "Gryfia" shipyard for a comment regarding the release of the Russian ship from the port. In response, we have been asked to send the questions via email. No asnwers have been sent back as of yet.

The Maritime Office in Szczecin would not allow a damaged vessel to leave the port and that is why it was hauled to the shipyard. The repair works, however, were said to have stopped after Russian invasion into Ukraine. According to "Gazeta Wyborcza", Ukrainian employees of the shipyard refused to repair the Russian vessel. The shipyard faced a wave of criticism for carrying out to the benefit of the country which invaded Ukraine. WZZ PGM trade union members have issued a call to managers of Polish shipyards to cancel all contracts with Russian shipowners.

Representatives of "Gryfia", managed by a Law and Party member Krzysztof Zaremba, have been refusing to comment. Last week, however, after media reports regarding halted repair works, the shipyard issued a statement, explaining that "a ship named SMP Novodvinsk owned by Russian Joint Stock Company Northern Shipping Company has been halted at the Marine Ship Repair Yard "Gryfia" in Szczecin in accordance with the contract provisions".

Zaremba told radioszczecin.pl that the vessel had been hauled to "Gryfia" shipyard a few days before Russia's attack on Ukraine. "In line withthe contract provisions, MSR Gryfia has decided to halt the Russian vessel. At the same time we would like to state that with regards to this case, from the very beginning we have been in contact with the adequate authorities, which are responsible for state security," the shipyard manager told radioszczecin.pl.

As the usual practice of shipyard companies shows, a ship whose repair bill hasn't been covered, would not have been allowed to depart. Furthermore, the Maritime Office would not have approved a damaged ship to leave a port. Everything seems to suggest that the shipyard must have completed the repair of the vessel and accepted payment for its services.

European ports have not introduced an embargo on Russian ships, with the exception of the United Kingdom. According to Greenpeace, however, tankers carrying Russian oil are still mooring in British ports. On March 11, one of them - Seatribute (sailing under the flag of Malta) - was said to have moored in the port of Fawley.