To add to the complications brought about by Ukraine’s renewed maritime attack campaign in and around the Black Sea, shipowners and charterers planning to call at Russian ports should brace for delays and heavy regulatory friction after Moscow introduced sweeping new entry rules for foreign vessels, the American Club has warned in an update to clients.
Under a decree that came into effect on November 25, every foreign-flagged ship requesting entry to a Russian port must now receive clearance from the Federal Security Service (FSB).
Port authorities must forward the vessel’s 10 most recent ports of call and notify the FSB within one hour, triggering a vetting procedure that can take up to 48 hours — before any underwater inspections or further checks.
If inspections are required, the process grows longer. According to the American Club, a full clearance cycle — not including any underwater inspection — could now run up to 53 hours. That timeline does not even account for potential delays at anchor, tug arrangements, or scheduling conflicts ashore.
Just weeks ago, Russia ordered all foreign vessels entering its ports to undergo underwater inspections for mines and other suspicious devices. Under the new port-entry regime, port operators may demand reimbursement from shipowners for the cost of inspections.
Insurance rates for ships trading in the Black Sea have jumped sharply in recent days following a fresh wave of attacks on vessels linked to Russia. Russian president Vladimir Putin warned last week that Moscow could expand its response if such attacks such as on the Kairos suezmax (pictured) continue. Putin said retaliatory measures could extend to ships belonging to countries that support Ukraine. Ukrainian special forces are also thought to have been behind the recent targeting of a product tanker at anchor thousands of kilometres away off Senegal.
