In October and November 2024, the Center of Journalist Investigations (the CJI) detected several dry cargo ships in the port of occupied Mariupol. They have not been found out there earlier. They carried out grain, kaolin \ white clay, coal and iron ore. We identified four ships – earlier identified ships as well as new Russian pirate ships in the Sea of Azov.
As the CJI earlier reported, there was some activity in the port of Mariupol at the beginning of summer 2024. In July-August 2024, no dry cargo ships entered the port. The dredging vessel sometimes worked in the shipping channel.
Dredging vessel in the water area of Mariupol. Summer 2024. Photo: t.me/andriyshTime
There are several explanations behind this situation. The first is about struggle between various Russian authorities and oligarchs over financial flows from Russia to Mariupol.
“There is a period of “great cleansing” in Russia. There are a number of arrests of Russian high politicians, bureaucrats and business people, affiliated with them. It is about Russian Ministry of Defence and its subcontractors. It seems to me that “group of Marat Khusnullin” “went underground”. For example, Russian company “Roskapstroy” has been very active in establishing control over finances allocated for construction in Mariupol. But its female director disappeared in the public space. There are no Russian reports about her visits to the city anymore”, as explained to the CJI Petro Andruschenko, an advisor of the Mayor of Mariupol.
Ex-director of “Roskapstroy” Yulia Maksimova, who lost her position and disappeared in the public space Photo: social media. Collage: investigator.org.ua
Stealing Ukrainian grain
The navigation resumed in occupied ports of the Sea of Azov by the end of harvesting season. On September 28, 2024, Russian bulker entered Mariupol port to pick up stolen Ukrainian grain. It has been identified with high probability as ship PETROTRANS 5905 (IMO: 9910090). It has been owned by Russian JSC “Petrotrans”. This company and LLC with the same name share common legal address in Sankt Petersburg. These legal entities have been included into Ukrainian sanction list in 2022 and 2024, respectively. Their founders are Russian citizens Yurii Bondarenko, Viktor Balyasnikov, Timur Urusov and Elena Mikhailova.
Data of ship “PETROTRANS 5905” at website www.imo.org. Collage: investigator.org.ua
“Russian occupants earlier brought grain from occupied part of Donetsk region from Mariupol port. It was unclear where did they get it last year”, as said Petro Andruschenko.
112 thousand tons of wheat, stolen from Ukranian private farmers in Donbas, have been brought from Mariupol port from January to October 2024, in accordance with statistical data of the regional office of Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (“Rosselkhoznadzor”).
So-called “Donetsk People’s Republic” (i.e. Russia) exported 85 thousand tons of grain to Turkey and Syria.
On November 10, 2024, ship «ALFA M» (IMO: 9419084) brought around 7 thousand tons of grain from Mariupol. It has been also identified in ports of Crimea and Berdyansk.
“ALFA M” was registered by company “ASTON SHIPTRADE CORP” in Marshall Islands. It has been under commercial management of company “DEEPBLUE MARINE BROKERAGE” from United Arab Emirates. Safety supervision has been provided by Russian KRECHET LLC with legal address in the Russian city of Rostov-na-Dony. Russian company has been headed by Pereguda Viktor Viktorovich and founded by Sopova Tatyana Viktorovna.
“ALFA M” in the water area of Mariupol – photos and pictures of satellite Sentinel-2, 10.11.2024. Collage: investigator.org.ua
Stealing Ukrainian coal
“The profile of cargo, brought by Russian occupants from the port of Mariupol, has changed. There is almost no grain. Main commodities are coal, a little bit of kaolin and little bit of metal scrap. There will be more coal, when navigation will be fully launched”, as said Petro Andruschenko.
On November 11, 2024, two ships were detected at piers of Mariupol. It was very likely that they came for coal.
LADY AUGUSTA (IMO: 9163568) and VICTORIA V (IMO: 9454125) in the port of occupied Mariupol. 11.11.2024. Photo: t.me/andriyshTime. Collage: investigator.org.ua
The first ship is dry cargo carrier “LADY AUGUSTA” (IMO: 9163568). Before February 2022, it has been registered under flag of Jamaica and owned by Lebanese company called “Adriamediteran Ltd”. Citizens of Syria staffed the crew of ship. When Mariupol was occupied by Russia, the ship stayed in Mariupol port. Later it has been “nationalized” by occupation authorities of so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic”.
“Lady Augusta” has been also detected on October 19, 2024 in the water area of Mariupol.
LADY AUGUSTA (IMO: 9163568) in occupied Mariupol, 2023
“It seems that they bring a coal to the Russian port of Novorossiisk and then somewhere to Russia. Why coal? Winter came, and coal is needed for heating. The coal is brought not from Donetsk, but from Luhansk. As far as I understand, it is not a coal for iron industry. It is a coal for heating. Though, frankly speaking, we do not have any documents supporting these observations. Russians guard very carefully everything related to occupied ports”, as said Petro Andruschenko.
The second ship is “VICTORIA V” (IMO: 9454125). It seems it illegally entered closed Ukrainian port for the first time. In accordance with data of marinetraffic.com, “Victoria V” used the scheme the CJI already reported:
- It officially enters the Russian port of Temruk
- The ship switches off automatic identification system
- Then, the ship goes for loading at Mariupol port
- It comes back with cargo to Temruk
- It switches on automatic identification system
- With cargo, it goes to the port of destination.
Data about ship “VICTORIA V” at website www.imo.org. Collage: investigator.org.ua
Owner of “Victoria V” is Russian “PKF “SIBMARKET” LLC, registered in the Russian city of Irkutsk. The company is owned by Russian citizen Kharlamov Oleg Gennadievich. No sanctions have been imposed on the company and its owner.
We identified four out of five new bulkers detected in Mariupol this autumn.
Unrecognized ship in the port of occupied Mariupol. 15.10.2024. Photo: t.me/andriyshTime
Identified ships will be included into the List of Russian pirate fleet in the Sea of Azov. It covers dry cargo carriers, indentified in ports of Berdyansk and Mariupol during Russian occupation. Up to now, the List consisted of 17 ships. Their majority has the flag of the Russian Federation.
Identification of Russian ships in photos. Photo: t.me/andriyshTime, marinetraffic.com. Collage: investigator.org.ua
Carrying military cargo
By the way, ship “Alfa M” entered Mariupol port with cargo. It has been re-loaded to the cargo train in the port. Later the train went to the North of occupied Donetsk region. Unlike Mariupol port, occupied railways work very well.
Train cars in the port of Mariupol, October 2024. Photo:t.me/andriyshTime
“I do not know exactly what occupied railways transport. But it is clear that they do not bring toys or grain to Volnovakha. It should be some military cargo. I do not think they carried tanks. Maybe, they brought ammunition and rockets. We did not see transportation of Russian troops. What is bad is that they already have the possibility to do it”, as noted Andruschenko.
It should be mentioned that Russian occupants have already transported tanks, ammunition, military vehicles and Russian troops by railways from Crimea to the front line. There is no doubt that they will be able to do it in occupied Zaporizhzhia and Donetsk regions.
Trains of Russian railways with tanks, “Grad” and Russian troops in Crimea. Autumn 2024. Collage: investigator.org.ua
However, overall situation is not as pessimistic as it might seem. Ukrainian resistance conducted around 20 sabotage acts on Russian railways and its infrastructure in occupied parts of Donetsk, Kherson, Zaporizhzhia regions and Crimea.
Burning fuel tanks and relays of Russian railways on occupied Ukrainian territories. Photo: t.me/atesh_ua and t.me/mrplSprotyv. Collage: investigator.org.ua
The CJI reported at the end of September 2024 that Russia built around 60 kilometers of new railways along the line Rostov-Taganrog-Mariupol. It improved logistics of Russian occupants. The construction was launched in autumn 2023.
