SINGAPORE: The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) has contacted ship operators with Singapore-flagged vessels in areas affected by the Ukraine conflict to advise them on security measures, including avoiding trading in these areas if necessary.

Other measures include requesting for a declaration of security to assess the ship-port interface, monitoring the situation in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov closely as well as reviewing advisories from the relevant local port and maritime authorities.

 

"There is one Singapore-registered ship currently in a Ukrainian port and another Singapore-registered ship at a Russian port in the Black Sea as of Mar 5, 2022," the MPA said.

"MPA is in close contact with the shipowners and companies who have reported that the ships and crew remained safe and well," the agency said, adding there are no Singaporeans aboard these ships.

The Straits Times had previously reported that Singapore-flagged oil tanker MTM Rio Grande had been stranded at the Ukrainian port of Mykolaiv since Feb 24, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. 

Both the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov are bordered by Russia and Ukraine. 

Russia suspended commercial shipping in the Sea of Azov on Feb 24.

And on Wednesday, Russian forces captured the Ukrainian port city of Kherson, located along the Black Sea. 

MPA added that it had sent an advisory to shipowners, managers, operators and masters of all Singapore-registered ships to advise them to review their ship security plans, determine the security level of the port facilities that their vessels intend to call at, and implement the necessary security measures.