Start again! A bulk carrier was damaged by shelling and stranded in port for 9 months...
The 18-year-old bulk carrier "Tzarevna" had arrived in Mariupol before the outbreak of the war, loaded with a batch of steel plates. The cargoes were produced at the Azov Steel Works by Ukrainian steel giant Metinvest.
The ship, with 20 crew members on board, was scheduled to set sail for the Italian port of Monfalcone. From there, the semi-finished steel will be delivered to the San Giorgio di Nogaro factory.
Bulk carrier "Tzarevna" is stuck in Mariupol. (Twitter)
The Malta-registered 21,470-dwt bulker has been stuck at the dock due to the port closure and subsequent attack on Mariupol. After the city fell, video from the docks showed damage to the ship from shelling, including cracks in its hull. The company has since successfully repatriated 15 crew members, with five remaining on board.
At the end of May this year, Donetsk announced its intention to seize all ships remaining in Mariupol and privatize them together with their cargo. Some foreign media have reported that the Russian side confiscated the steel and shipped it to Russian ports.
Owner Augusto Cosulich appealed to Malta and Italy for assistance. Cosulich told Italian media that the ship was worth million and the cargo on board was worth million. Since the ship was registered in Malta, the Prime Minister of Malta agreed to send a formal protest to Moscow.
In June, TASS reported that the ship would be released after receiving payment from "port services".
The Italian shipping company Fratelli Cosulich issued a brief statement, stating that "our ship "Tzarevna" has been trapped in Mariupol since February 24 this year and has now sailed from the port of Mariupol. "
The company did not provide any details on how to restore the ship, but noted that crews could be brought on board as the airport reopens. However, they also said the cargo of 12,000 steel plates had been unloaded before departure.
The ship's AIS signal is displayed. It set sail on November 9 local time and successfully crossed the Sea of Azov. The bulk carrier "Tzarevna" is currently moored near the Kerch waters at the entrance to the Black Sea. Italian shipping company Fratelli Cosulich reported that the ship was headed to Varna, Bulgaria, where it will undergo repairs to the damaged hull.
