The dockers refused to unload Russian oil from the tanker Seacode, currently moored in Stanlow, England. The boat sails under the German flag, which allows her to enter the British port, despite the sanctions.
British dockers on Saturday refused to unload Russian oil from a tanker, urging the government to close “loopholes” in the system of sanctions allowing foreign-flagged ships to bring oil from Russia. The Seacod tanker is currently moored at the Stanlow refinery in the northwest of England, and according to trade union Unite, its cargo is not subject to the ban on Russian ships because it does not conform to the German flag.
British sanctions imposed following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine bar all ships owned or owned by Russia, operated, controlled, registered by a Russian person or flying the Russian flag from entering British ports.
“Due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, there are no Unite workers on site. [de Stanlow] will unload Russian oil, regardless of the nationality of the ship,” Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said, calling on Transportation Minister Grant Shapps to “immediately close the loophole.”
Two other tankers turned back
Two other Cypriot-flagged oil tankers carrying Russian gas, the Boris Vilkitsky and the Fedor Litke, were diverted off Grain Island in Kent, southeast New Jersey, according to union Unison. “While our actions have been successful in repelling these vessels, a fundamental problem remains,” Unison national energy manager Matt Lay said in a statement.
“The government must take immediate action to close the loophole that does not cover the origin of shipping cargo and prevent Russian goods from continuing to enter the UK under the guise of another country,” he said. The UK is less dependent on Russian energy sources than many other European countries.