Tankers are afraid to go to Ukraine: shipowners fear the answer for Russian ships

After numerous attacks by the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian oil tankers in the Sea of Azov, tanker shipowners are afraid to send vessels to Ukraine. They expect retaliatory strikes and are already canceling flights.

Ukrainian drones attack tankers with fuel for Crimea in the Sea of Azov. However, the consequences of these blows are already beginning to be felt on the Ukraine. Foreign traders fear that chartered tankers will be hit back at the Ukrainian ports of the Danube.

"Some carriers are already canceling flights to Ukrainian ports. No one wants to risk people and cargo," one of the shipowners told enkorr.

This turn further aggravates the situation with imports to Ukraine. Stop shipping in The Strait of Hormuz and a ban on the export of diesel fuel from After the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia has already presented the country with new competitors for fuel.

"Turkey and North Africa used to be supplied with a Russian product, but now we are in the same market with them," one of the operators in Constanta, Romania, told the publication. Enkorr cites information that at the end of June several large ships were heading to the Romanian port, but some of them changed their route after receiving more attractive offers.

"The increase in premiums for the supply of barges from Constants of $ 3-$ 5 per ton, up to $ 42-$ 43 per ton to CIF Med quotes, took place at the end of last week after the news about the ban on the export of Russian diesel fuel. The interviewed terminal operators reported that there are still no free volumes of the product There is no Constanta, and the next batches, which will arrive at the end of July, will be offered more expensive," writes enkorr.

The Swiss trader estimated that the cost of new volumes is likely to be at $60-70 per ton by CIF Med.

"There is not much product on the market," he said.

Another problem is the shallowing of the Danube due to the heat. Barges go with incomplete loading, and companies have to pay extra for "dead freight".

In this situation, according to enkorr, Ukrainian traders who did not agree to the terms of the Greek Hellenic Petroleum became more malleable and quickly bought up the cargoes of the Greek producer for a premium of $ 37-$ 40 to FOB Med.