A Russian ship carrying a consignment of products intended for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was denied entry to Bangladesh’s Mongla port. Bangladesh government has maintained its decision to deny the ship entry, despite pressure from Russia, as it fears falling under US sanctions or incurring significant financial penalties. The ship in question is currently under US embargo.
Information about the ship
The name of the ship is Ursa Major. It is also referred to as Sparta 3. On May 8, 2022, the US State Department imposed sanctions on this ship and identified it as a blocked property. The State Department’s fact sheet provides the following information about the vessel:
Vessel: Sparta 3
Vessel aka: Ursa Major
Vessel Registration Identification: IMO 9538892
Vessel Type: General Cargo
Vessel Flag: Russia
Vessel Gross Tonnage: 12679
According to Marine Traffic, a prominent maritime analytics provider, the length overall (LOA) of the vessel is 142.47 meters and its width is 23.2 meters. It departed from St. Petersburg, Russia on November 14, 2022.
This vessel is owned by the Russian maritime shipping company SC South LLC, which is a subsidiary of Oboronlogistika OOO. Oboronlogistika OOO is a Russian shipping company that operates within the Russian Ministry of Defense’s military-construction complex. SC South LLC also delivers cargo for the Russian Ministry of Defense. As a result of US sanction, four vessels in which SC South LLC has an interest, including Sparta III, are now blocked.
How the event unfolded
The vessel Ursa Major was scheduled to arrive at Mongla port with cargo for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant on December 24, 2022. It first unloaded some products at the port of Cochin in Kerala, India, and then set out for Mongla port.
However, on December 20, the US informed Bangladesh in a diplomatic letter that the vessel carrying the goods was not Ursa Major, but Sparta 3, which is under US embargo. The US alleged that the name and color of the ship had been changed, but its IMO (International Marine Organization) certificate number matched the IMO number of Sparta 3. The letter also stated that unloading products from that ship and providing fuel or any other assistance to the sailors of that ship could potentially risk falling under US sanctions or facing large financial penalties, according to the Bangladeshi daily Prothom Alo.
After confirming the information provided by the US, the Bangladesh foreign ministry informed the Ministry of Shipping. Based on this, the Mongla port authorities stated that the ship would not be allowed to dock.
On December 20, the Russian Embassy in Dhaka also sent a letter to the foreign ministry requesting permission for a ship to enter Bangladesh.
The Russian ambassador to Bangladesh, Aleksandr Mantytsky, was summoned to the office of the foreign secretary (Maritime Affairs Unit), Md Khurshed Alam, on December 22. During the meeting, the Russian ambassador was informed that it was the duty of the local agent to transport the cargo unhindered, and that any issues should be resolved by Russia. Bangladesh stated that it would not allow the vessel to enter the port.
The vernacular daily Manabzamin provided a background to the December 22 event. According to a source in the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, the paper reported, December 22, 2022 was a significant day in the 50-year history of Bangladesh-Russia bilateral relations. On that day, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom of attempting to interfere in the domestic affairs of Bangladesh. On the same day, Russia sent a letter to Bangladesh asking the country to allow the Russian ship to enter. Both Prothom Alo and Manabzamin reported, citing a foreign ministry official, that Russia used aggressive language in this letter. Russia stated that barring the ship from entering the country could have a negative impact on bilateral relations between the two countries, revealed Prothom Alo. Manabzamin reported that Bangladesh provided a strong response to the Russian envoy.
On the same day, a meeting was held with Science and Technology Minister Yeafesh Osman as chair. Representatives from Russia were present at the meeting and were informed that the ship would not be granted permission to enter the country.
The Department of Shipping later informed the local shipping agent for the vessel “Sparta 3” that it would assist in offloading the materials at Haldia Port in Kolkata and then transport the equipment to Rooppur via waterway or road.
However, the “Sparta 3” was unable to offload the equipment at Haldia Port. Some speculate that the shipping agent may have been unable to reach an agreement with Haldia Port authorities or that there may have been pressure from the US side on India.
Where is URSA Major now?
According to a report published by Prothom Alo on December 29, 2022, the current location of the Russian ship Ursa Major (also known as Sparta 3) could not be confirmed by sources in Bangladesh. However, the newspaper also claimed, based on another source, that the ship was leaving the Bay of Bengal.
According to Marine Traffic, on January 15, 2023 at 10:34 LT (UTC +7), the ship Ursa Major was located at 20° 31′ 07.7″ N, 087° 50′ 28.2″ E on the East Coast of India in the Bay of Bengal, as reported by the Marine Traffic Terrestrial Automatic Identification System.
Potential implications of the event
It may take a few more days to fully understand the impact of this event, but it is clear that it will likely slow the progress of the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant in Bangladesh, which is being built by Russia.
Since the start of the Russia-Ukraine War on February 24, 2022, four ships carrying machinery for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant have arrived at the Mongla deep sea port in Bangladesh. The first ship, the Russian-flagged MV Kamilla, arrived on August 1, 2022, followed by the Liberian-flagged MV Dragonball on August 5, the Belize-flagged MV Uniwisdom on September 6, and the Russian-flagged MV Ecenia on September 11. None of these ships were listed on the US sanctions list issued on May 8, 2022. The last Russian ship to arrive at the Mongla port before the Russian invasion of Ukraine was the MV Pescavalis on October 17, 2021.
Bangladesh’s decision to not allow the Ursa Major to enter its port shows its intention to avoid confrontation with the US. Additionally, delaying the Roopour Project would result in further losses for the country. Therefore, it would be advisable for Bangladesh to encourage Russia to send the necessary equipment for the nuclear plant on ships that are not under US sanctions.
On January 22, 2023, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen announced that the country will not accept any ships from Russia that are under sanctions. He emphasized the good relationship Bangladesh has with the United States and expressed disappointment that Russia had sent a sanctioned ship, despite changing its name. He expects Russia to send future shipments via non-sanctioned ships.
The Russian ship affairs put the ruling party in a difficult position politically, as Russia has been supporting the government in the face of increasing US pressure to adhere to democratic norms and protect human rights. It will be interesting to see how the Bangladesh government navigates its relationships with both Russia and the US in the coming days.
It is noteworthy that Bangladesh abstained from voting on a resolution at the UN General Assembly on November 15, 2022, which called for Russia to be held accountable for violating international law through its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia summons Bangladesh’s ambassador
On February 21, 2023, Bangladesh’s ambassador to Russia was summoned by the Russian government to protest Bangladesh’s decision to block the entry of Russian ships into its ports.
During the meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry informed the Bangladeshi ambassador that the decision to block the entry of Russian ships into Bangladeshi ports was not aligned with the spirit of their long-standing friendly bilateral relations. The Ministry further added that such a step might have adverse effects on future cooperation in various areas.
On Feb. 17, 2023, when the Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, revealed that several dozen Russian vessels had been banned from calling at Bangladeshi ports. Zakharova stated that the ban was imposed under the threat of US sanctions, which she described as “outright blackmail.”
As per the latest update from Russia’s embassy in Bangladesh, a total of 69 Russian vessels have been prohibited from accessing Bangladesh’s ports.
Zakharova emphasized that Russia had come to Bangladesh’s aid in the past and that the country’s leadership should take measures to safeguard its national interests. Russia believes that it is in Bangladesh’s interest to develop a mutually beneficial partnership with Moscow, which has provided support during different periods of the country’s history.
However, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry said in a press briefing on February 23, 2023 that blocking a US-sanctioned Russian ship from entering its port will not harm its relations with Moscow. The country’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Seheli Sabrin, noted that Russia is a “proven and long-term friend of Bangladesh” and that “our understanding of bilateral issues is so good that we don’t think a single issue will adversely impact the existing friendly relations.” Russia summoned Bangladesh’s ambassador Kamrul Ahsan after the incident, but Sabrin claimed that Russia called the head of its diplomatic team to discuss various issues, not summoned him.
