By KYIV. Nov 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The bulk carrier Georgia S, sailing from the port of Pivdenny under the flag of Liberia with a cargo of wheat, on Thursday, on the high seas, probably came across a sea mine off the coast of Ukraine, Reuters said on Friday.
A Ukrainian government source told Reuters on Friday it was likely the ship had been hit by a floating sea mine.
The merchant ship was lightly damaged. The vessel’s last position on Friday was heading towards the Romanian port of Constanta, according to data from ship tracking and maritime analytics provider MarineTraffic.
After withdrawing from a U.N.-backed deal in July that guaranteed safe shipments of Ukrainian grain via the Black Sea, Ukraine says Russia has repeatedly attacked Ukrainian port infrastructure and also laid sea mines.
War risk insurance premiums rose to 3% of a ship’s value after a missile damaged a merchant ship in the Ukrainian port of Pivdenny last week, Reuters said, citing industry sources. Insurance broker Marsh MMC.N, London insurers Lloyd’s and Ukrainian state-owned banks this week launched a program to reduce the cost of damage claims for ships and crews transporting grain through the temporary Black Sea corridor.
