UK Dockers Refuse To Handle 2 Tankers Loaded With Russian Gas

Dockers in Kent have refused to unload two tankers of Russian gas, forcing them to go elsewhere, a union has said, BBC reported early. The Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke have been diverted from the Isle of Grain, the largest terminal in Europe for importing liquefied natural gas.

Photo Insert: The Boris Vilkitsky

Unison head of energy Matt Lay said staff were "determined to support the Ukrainian people and uphold the sanctions imposed against Russia." However, there are concerns over a loophole in the current sanctions.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Tuesday that the UK had become the first country to pass a law banning ships with "any Russian connection" from entering its ports.

Lay said: "Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case," adding that "the Department for Transport rules only appear to cover the ownership and operators of vessels, not the cargo."

The Isle of Grain LNG is the largest terminal in Europe for importing liquefied natural gas. The two tankers contain enough liquid gas to supply the UK for up to 12 days. The ships are sailing under the flag of Cyprus.

Many ship owners opt to use a flag of another country for taxation or regulatory reasons. Lay added: "The government must act immediately to stop Russian goods continuing to arrive in the UK under the cover of another country."

Reporting on the same matter for The Guardian, Urooba Jamal reported that workers at the LNG terminal had warned in advance they wouldn't process Russian natural gas as they are "determined to show their support for the Ukrainian people," a union official said.

"These staff members are determined to show their support for the Ukrainian people and uphold the sanctions imposed against Russia," Business Insider also quoted the union official as saying.

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