Russian Ship with Military Cargo Detained in Kochin, India

July 20, 2022

The Russian Embassy in India has confirmed that it is aware of the detention of a Russian cargo ship in the Indian port of Cochin, which was carrying a military shipment for the Indian Armed Forces. The embassy has officially asked the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for an explanation of the circumstances surrounding the occurrence.

Additionally, it has asked the government to ensure that the rights of Russian troops and shipowners are always upheld.

Russian Embassy in India is aware of the Russian cargo ship detention in the Indian port of Cochin, on board of which a military cargo for the Indian Armed Forces was delivered: Russian Embassy

— ANI (@ANI) July 19, 2022

The embassy has stated that preliminary information indicates that these activities are related to the claim made by the Estonian shore service business Bunker Partner OU, which claimed that the owners of the ship were reportedly in debt.

“We want to emphasize that the court approved the unloading of the goods because it has no bearing on the legal dispute. This issue is under the direct authority of the Russian Consulate General in Chennai,” it continued.

On July 18, the Kerala High Court issued a seizure order for the Russian ship MV MAIA-I because an Estonian business had not received payment for fuel charges totaling about 1.87 crores ($23,503). Due to the fact that the ship was transporting weaponry to Cochin for the Indian Navy, the court allowed it to unload its cargo while it was being held.

The admiralty case was brought by TX Harry of Karuvelipady in Cochin, who is authorized to act on behalf of Bunker Partner OU, an Estonia-based company. What is asserted as payment is the number of bunkers given to the ship. The logistics of loading and distributing gasoline among the various shipboard tanks is known as bunkering, and it is the source of fuel for use by ships.

After observing that the ship is docked at the Cochin Port Trust, the court ordered the deputy conservator to execute the arrest warrant and cause the arrest, seizure, and detention of the ship.

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