Loaded with uranium
Rostock customs arrests Russian freighter
April 2, 2024, 3:04 p.m
At the beginning of March, a 200 meter long cargo ship entered the Rostock harbor for repairs. Actually, it should then continue to the USA. However, customs discovered enriched uranium on the ship and prohibited it from continuing its journey.
The customs authorities have banned a freighter coming from Russia from continuing its journey in the Rostock overseas port. The background is the ship’s cargo. “Due to goods on board that were sanctioned by the EU, the ship has received a detention order from customs. Leaving the port is therefore prohibited,” said the Rostock Port and Seaman’s Office. The “Ostsee-Zeitung” had previously reported on the ship’s arrest.
According to the information, the 193 meter long freighter “Atlantic Navigator II”, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, entered the port of Rostock for repairs on March 4th due to technical problems with the propeller. The damage was probably caused by driving on ice, the authorities said.
The responsible main customs office in Stralsund pointed out that the ship’s cargo, like all goods brought into the EU, was subject to customs supervision. In this context, compliance with restrictions on foreign trade, including sanctions against Russia, will be examined. In this specific case, the investigation is still ongoing. Customs did not provide any details about the cargo.
According to research by the “Ostsee-Zeitung”, the ship was on its way to the USA and was loaded with, among other things, birch wood and enriched uranium for US nuclear power plants. This information was confirmed by several sources, the newspaper wrote. The total value of the freight is around 40 million euros. The affected ship is listed in the fleet of a shipping company that operates branches and offices in Canada, the USA, Russia (St. Petersburg) and Ukraine (Odessa), among others.