- Maersk, MSC and CMA-CGM divert cargoes out of Ukraine to safer ports as defenders hold on to Kyiv and take back Kharkiv from invading Russian troops on Feb 27
- The shipping giants say they want to focus on their employees’ safety in Ukraine
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agrees to meet Russian officials on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border as President Vladimir Putin puts nuclear deterrent forces on high alert
The world’s leading container lines are diverting cargoes bound for Ukraine to other ports amid intense fighting on Sunday as Ukrainians defended the capital Kyiv against Russian forces and retook Kharkiv from the enemy.
The moves by AP Moeller-Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company and CMA-CGM to shift to safer ground came before reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy agreed to talks to meet Russian officials on the Ukrainian-Belarusian border as President Vladimir Putin put his nuclear deterrent forces on high alert.
Zelenskyy said he spoke with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko and agreed to meet with the Russians “without preconditions.”
The shipping giants said they want to focus on the safety of their employees in Ukraine.
“To prevent congestion in key ports, we are moving cargo to and from Ukraine to ports with less yard density that still possess the required reefer plugs to retain perishable commodities,” Maersk said in its fourth daily update to customers.
“Earlier this week, we announced a series of relief packages. We can already see some customers making use of these packages,” Maersk said. Among its offers are free change of destination services and no cancellation fees on bookings to and from Ukraine.
“The security and well-being of Maersk employees remains our top priority. We are in frequent contact with our people and it gives us great comfort to know that they are safe and accounted for,” Maersk said.
The company added its directly affected seafarers and crew changes have been set up in Poland for the next few days for their safety.
MSC, the world’s top container line, has stopped sailings to and from Ukraine and diverted one vessel away from the port of Odessa due to the escalating situation, the Switzerland-based company said in an advisory.
“For the time being, MSC ships will not call at Ukrainian ports,” the advisory said. It added that as of February 2022, (MSC) has stopped accepting new bookings for cargo to/from Ukraine,” MSC said.
“The container ship MSC Jessenia R was required to deviate during voyage XA207A and the vessel will omit calling (at) Odessa.”
French container liner, CMA CGM Group, said it has been closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine and the Black Sea region with focus on the safety of its staff and their families in the besieged country.
CMA-CGM said the BEX and BSMAR services will omit Odessa, Ukraine; bookings to and from Odessa are suspended, and the floating cargo to Ukraine will be redirected to the ports of Constanza in Romania, Tripoli in Libya or Piraeus, Greece.
CMA CGM Tanya, its vessel in the BEX service that was due to arrive in Odessa on February 25, would discharge its cargo in Constanza. Its GSL Susan ship in the BSMAR service and vessel CMA CGM Volga in the BEX service will skip Odessa on March 1 and discharge in Constanza.
The vessel CMA CGIM AMBARLI in the BSMAR service will berth in Constanza on March 8 while CMA CGM LISA MARIE in the BEX service will discharge in Tripoli.
