Stranded Russian crews in Middle East waters run out of critical supplies

Around 20 Russian sailors are stranded on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with their food and water supplies running low, according to Telegram channel Mash.

The sailors are said to be without documents or money, and no evacuation efforts have been initiated.

All of them signed contracts with the Iranian company Waves Core Shipping Management L.L.C through the crewing agency Azimuth Crew Department. Their contracts specified particular vessels, but they were placed on different ships instead.

One sailor is said to have ended up on the tanker M/T KARIZ (IMO 9364112), formerly known as TOUR 2. The vessel is listed under US sanctions, which reportedly creates risks for the crew, including potential difficulties with salary payments, financial transactions, and repatriation.

According to the report, the 20 Russian nationals are currently dispersed across several ships located in Bandar Abbas port, waters near Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Chabahar port, and the Persian Gulf. All are employed by the same shipowner, Waves Core Shipping Management L.L.C.

The sailors have not been paid and claims for repatriation have gone unanswered. Crewing agencies are said to be unable to assist, as departure requires an official letter from the company. The sailors’ documents are held by ship captains, who are refusing to return them.

On some vessels, food and water supplies are running low, with only rice and technical water available in some cases. Several ships are said to be operating near active conflict zones.

By Jeyhun Aghazada