Calls for ban on Russian vessels as cargo ship does u-turn in Shannon estuary

The Aughinish Alumina plant in Limerick is owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska.

A TD and former Army Ranger has called on the government to ban all Russian ships from Irish territorial waters and ports after a Russian cargo ship did a last-minute u-turn in the Shannon estuary on Wednesday night.

Independent TD Cathal Berry spoke out as the Russian-flagged Pola Feodosia, whose homeport is St Petersburg, was scheduled to berth at the Russian-owned Aughinish alumina plant in Limerick on Wednesday evening. However, it did a u-turn in the estuary and was last night heading to Denmark, according to the Marine Traffic tracker.

The 140-metre long vessel is believed to have a crew of 11 Russians on board.

The Aughinish plant is owned by Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska through his company Rusal. He has called for peace between Russia and Ukraine.

Rusal employs more than 450 people at Aughinish, which is Europe’s biggest alumina producer, and which was responsible for a quarter of Rusal’s alumina production last year.

Mr Berry, who has called for the exclusion of Russian aircraft from EU airspace to be extended to the EU’s maritime environment, said it would be preferable for such a move to be coordinated across the EU but he said Ireland could act alone if necessary to begin a chain reaction across the EU.

He accepted that such a move could put hundreds of Aughinish jobs at risk but he said the government could use pandemic payment-type supports to help workers who may be affected.

Like other sanctions, it is a “double edged sword”, he said.

“But the principle is sound. We want to isolate Russia and we want to hit the Russians, not their employees.

“We could do it and put the appropriate safeguards in place for the employees who might be affected.

“During the pandemic, the government supported hundreds of thousands of people who were out of work.

“If we can do it for hundreds of thousands of people during a pandemic, we can do it for a few hundred people caught in this kind of situation.

“We have proven with the pandemic that it can be done. And I should stress the temporary nature of sanctions too.” 

However, Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher said Ireland has acted in line with its European partners to date around the introduction of the sanctions as were requested by the EU and that they should be given time to take effect.

“If further sanctions are requested, then Ireland will consider them at that particular point in time and I have no doubt that Ireland will act in accordance with any request that will come from its EU partners in that regard,” he said.

According to Marine Traffic, the 2018-built 6,266 gross tonnage general cargo ship, Pola Feodosia, sailed from Waterford on Friday and went to anchor off Wexford over the weekend as the scale of the Russian invasion of Ukraine became apparent.

As the EU closed its airspace to all Russian aircraft over the weekend, affecting Ireland’s massive aircraft leasing sector, the vessel remained at anchor.

But when it became clear that it would not be affected by the further EU sanctions which were announced on Monday, mostly targeted at the financial sector, the ship got underway on Monday night bound for the Aughinish refinery.

It was due to spend up to a week loading materials for shipment back to St Petersburg but those plans were apparently scrapped.