The customs of the German city of Rostock detained the container ship "Atlantic Navigator II," which was transporting sanctioned goods from Russia to the United States.
This was reported by NDR.
On board the vessel, which was heading to the United States, there were 251 containers of birch plywood from Russia. Wood is included in the sanction lists of the European Union.
Additionally, it was carrying a cargo of enriched uranium, as reported by Ostsee Zeitung. As reported, the ship was transporting birch wood and uranium, and it was detained specifically because of the wood. Norddeutsche Neueste Nachrichten, citing insiders, writes that this wood came from the factories of a Russian oligarch whose name is included in the EU sanction list.
Initially, the vessel, which was sailing from St. Petersburg, was not supposed to dock in the port of Rostock, but damage to the propeller led to an unplanned stop. During the inspection, customs discovered goods falling under EU sanctions due to Russia's war against Ukraine, and imposed a so-called detention order.
It is currently unknown who owns the vessel, which sails under the flag of the Marshall Islands. It is part of the fleet of a shipping company that has branches and offices in Canada, the United States, Russia (St. Petersburg), Ukraine (Odessa), and elsewhere.
The "Atlantic Navigator II" has been docked at the seaport of Rostock since March 4th. The value of the cargo is estimated at 40 million euros.
Despite the sanctions, Russia continues to do business with many Western countries.
The United States continues to receive enriched uranium from Russia. Last year, according to publicly available information, the country imported about 700 tons worth $1.2 billion.
