Russia preparing to restrict access for vessels that called at Ukrainian ports — port memo

Shipowners whose vessels have previously called at Ukrainian ports may face restrictions on entering Russian ports. This is stated in an internal memo issued by the Tuapse Bulk Terminal, a copy of which is available to the editorial team of Latifundist.com. The document is being circulated among shipowners and fleet operators.

Earlier, Argus reported that vessels which had recently called at Ukrainian ports have largely been denied entry to Russia’s Black Sea ports since January 2026.

According to the memo, Russia is preparing new rules governing vessel access to Black Sea ports if ships have previously visited Ukrainian, Romanian or Bulgarian waters.

The memo, dated January 22, 2026, describes a meeting held at the RN–Tuapse Marine Terminal involving representatives of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), customs authorities, the Ministry of Defence and Black Sea port administrations. During the meeting, Rear Admiral Viktor Kochemazov stated that within two to three weeks, Russia’s Ministry of Transport is expected to prepare a regulatory document establishing a ban on entry into Russia’s territorial waters for certain cargo vessels.

The document lists the following criteria under which a vessel may be subject to restrictions:

• the last 10 port calls being to ports in Ukraine, Romania or Bulgaria;
• possession of newly issued ship documentation;
• a change of ownership within the last 10 voyages;
• a change of port of registry or flag;
• the presence of Ukrainian or Azerbaijani nationals among the crew;
• chartering immediately after ship repairs.

The memo also notes that military officials justified the diversion of vessels not only by the presence of “dangerous cargoes,” but also by the fact that some berths and port waters are located in zones of potential shelling, which, according to them, could pose a risk of damage to port infrastructure.

In addition, the meeting discussed the installation of boom barriers at the entrance to the port of Tuapse and the possible financial participation of terminal operators in such works. The document concludes by stating that information on the new vessel requirements has been passed to relevant responsible officials for further communication to market participants.

Konstantin Sobol, founder of Marelis Navigation S.A., told Latifundist.com that, citing this memo, one foreign shipowner refused to call at Ukrainian ports.

“He said it directly: if I enter Ukraine now, I will be excluded from the Russian market for six months,” Sobol said.

Freight broker Ivan Mashchenko of Larona Freight & Commodity Services also confirmed that the memo is being circulated among shipowners and used as a pretext for refusing calls at Ukrainian ports.

“Publicly, only this memo exists. The real situation is what is happening on the ground, in the ports. If Ukraine appears among a vessel’s recent calls, it is simply not accepted. And this does not depend on the captain or the shipowner,” he said.

Tags: Ukraine, Russia, restrictions, war