Tanker Detained in Germany on Suspicion of Transporting Sanctioned Goods to Russia

The water police of the German city of Kiel (the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein) detained a tanker suspected of transporting goods to RUSSIA that fall under Western sanctions . This was reported by NTV, citing a statement from the department.

The vessel was detained and inspected in the Kiel Canal at the lock in Holtenau. Initially, the reason was the lack of documents for part of the cargo; the Kieler Nachrichten publication claims that it was incorrectly declared. In the process, the German authorities developed additional suspicions: during the inspection, it turned out that the vessel could be transporting a substance that falls under the EU's anti-Russian sanctions, the police said.

A spokesman for the Kiel water police described the substance as "roughly speaking" a type of fertilizer, without giving further details. German customs officials were called in to help with the inspection, and the tanker was banned from sailing until all the circumstances were clarified.

The ship is heading to Ravenna, Italy. NDR reported that the tanker has been in Kiel for two days.

The EU, after the start of the military operation, in particular, imposed sanctions against Russian fertilizers. Some of them, however, pass through European ports, including in transit.

Russia considers Western sanctions illegal.

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