Mike Ryan, Harbourmaster at the Port of Milford Haven, said: 

“We understand and share the strength of feeling around Russian-connected vessels entering the Port of Milford Haven, particularly as our town has strong links with Ukraine in its twinning with the city of Uman.   

“However, we do not have the power to unilaterally apply sanctions to a vessel bound for our Port.   

“We can confirm, however, that in accordance with the guidance issued yesterday (Monday 28th February) by the Department for Transport, we will not be allowing entry to the Port of Milford Haven to any ship that we have reason to believe is:  

  • Owned, controlled, chartered, or operated by any person connected with Russia
  • Owned, controlled, chartered or operated by Designated Persons
  • Flying the Russian flag
  • Registered in Russia 

“The determination of whether a vessel falls within this definition is not simple, but we are keen to ensure that the sanctions from the UK Government are applied here in Milford Haven.  The Department for Transport (DfT) will be supporting us and other UK ports to identify vessels which they believe should not be serviced.  In every case we will be seeking clarification from the DfT as to whether sanctions apply to a particular vessel and/or cargo.  All of this will be done in collaboration with our terminal customers.” 

-ENDS-