Putin’s new decree caused a collapse in Russian ports

Russian seaports are on the verge of complete collapse due to the bureaucratic chaos caused by the presidential decree No. 502 of July 21, 2025. The document, signed as part of the law “On Martial Law”, requires approval from the FSB of Russia for the entry of vessels under foreign flags. However, due to the lack of clear regulations on interaction between the Ministry of Transport and the FSB, the ports are effectively paralyzed, which threatens exports, in particular agricultural products, which are a key item of Russian exports.

The Ministry of Transport of Russia turned out to be completely unprepared to implement the presidential decree. At present, neither the FSB units responsible for approval, nor the deadlines for considering applications, nor the list of required documents have been determined. As a result, port captains, fearing liability, are massively refusing vessels entry. For example, 20 ships are stuck in the roadstead in Novorossiysk and cannot start loading. In Ust-Luga, 12 shipowners received verbal refusals, and the situation in the ports of the Far East is no better.

The consequences of bureaucratic chaos are already tangible: terminals in the ports are overcrowded, and exporters’ warehouses are approaching their capacity limit. If the situation is not resolved by the end of the week, exporters will have to stop shipments. This threatens not only financial losses, but also the loss of sales markets, as foreign partners will look for alternative suppliers.

Tags: Russia, restrictions, ports