German customs detains ship with Russia cargo at Baltic Sea port
German customs authorities have detained a cargo ship that arrived from Russia at the German Baltic Sea port of Rostock because of suspicions about the ship's contents, authorities announced on Tuesday.
The ship, a 193-metre-long freighter, had arrived at the port on March 4 for repairs due to technical problems with its propeller, likely caused by voyaging through icy seas, German authorities said.
But German customs officials pointed out that the ship's cargo, like all goods brought into the European Union, was subject to customs supervision and inspection. German customs officials also contend that restrictions on foreign trade imposed by EU sanctions on Russia also apply.
"Due to EU-sanctioned goods on board, the ship has received a detention order from customs. Leaving the port is therefore prohibited," the Rostock Port and Seamen's Office announced on Tuesday.
Customs officials said the investigation into the ship remains ongoing, and did not provide any details about the contents of the cargo.
The ship is operating under a flag from the Marshall Islands, a small island country in the Pacific Ocean that is a popular registration place for ship owners.
According to a report by the Ostsee-Zeitung newspaper, the ship was on its way to the United States and was loaded with birch wood and enriched uranium for US nuclear power plants, among other things.
The newspaper said its information had been confirmed by multiple unnamed sources, and placed the value of the cargo at around €40 million ($43 million).
The ship in question is listed in the fleet of a shipping company that operates branches and offices in Canada, the United States, the Russian city of St Petersburg as well as the Ukrainian port of Odessa, among others.
After Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU imposed a raft of sanctions, seeking to halt the Kremlin's war.
However, there is no EU import ban on uranium.
The sanctions in place apply to a total of more than 1,700 people and over 400 organizations. Steel, steel products and iron, gold and diamonds, including jewellery, cement, asphalt, wood, paper, synthetic rubber and plastics may not be imported, under the restrictions, for example.
