KAUNAS

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Ukraine restarts RoPax service between Chornomorsk and Batumi

The Ukraine will restart the RoPax ferry service for passengers and cargo between Chornomorsk and Batumi with the 'Kaunas' on July 9, 2024, for the first time since the Russian invasion. It is the latest step to build back exports and foreign trade following the moves in April and May to restart container operations. It is a 61-hour run to the port of Batumi on the southern coast of Georgia. The company Urkferry had operated this route dating back to December 1996. Ukrferry restarted its operations in July 2023 with its ferry 'Vilnius', operating between Romania and Georgia. Additionally, at the end of May, the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority reported that negotiations were underway to also resume a ferry service connection to Baku. Ukraine had announced plans to stop all shipments via Russia nearly a decade ago. The service had been launched in 2016 as part of the Trans-Caspian corridor designed to bypass Russia. It was designed to connect to China providing Ukraine another route to export primarily grain and metal products. Restarting the ferries follows the expansion of the container service. At the end of May, Hapag-Lloyd, resumed its feeder service between Chernomorsk and Constanta, Romania after a Turkish freight forwarder reopened the route in April with chartered vessels. Maersk working with Iteris was also resuming the deep sea service after having been moving containers via the Danube. MSC Mediterranean Shipping was also scheduled to restart feeder service from Odesa this month. The companies reported strong demand for the service. Hapag said its Danube service had booked solid when it was announced. Returning to the deep sea ports was a means of expanding capacity. Ukrainian officials also said that they were looking to expand with direct service to Turkey and later Egypt. Cargo volumes have already doubled since the services were resumed and the expectation is that they can quickly reach pre-war volumes.

All migrants disembarked from Black Sea ferry

On Nov 1, the last six of a total of 12 migrants, who had been aboard the "Kaunas Seaways" for three months, were taken off the ship to be brought back to their homelands with airplanes from the Odessa Airport and Turkey. Six of the migrants were returned to Algeria on Oct 29, while the six others were currently on their way to Morocco. The migrants had boarded the ferry hidden in trailers with goods from Turkey on July 27.

Concern about stowaways after two months aboard

Expertes believed that the 12 stowaways aboard the "Kaunas Seaways" who have been locked in cabins for two months now, could be a danger to passengers and crew members. Neither Turkey nor Ukraine will accept the migrants who got illegally aboard in Turkey in the mistaken belief that the ferry would sail to an EU country and were not aware that it was sailing between Istanbul and Odessa. Lithuania, the flag state of the ferry, will not accept them either. DFDS has locked the migrants into cabins, welded grids for the windows and employed security personnel to protect crew and passengers. Some of the migrants have shown aggressive behaviuor, tried to set the cabins on fire and flooded them with water. They also threatened to jump overboard.