A RUSSIAN cargo ship was anchored off Askeaton in the Shannon Estuary this Wednesday waiting for a load of alumina from the Aughinish Alumina refinery, which is operated by a firm linked to Russian billionaire, Oleg Deripaska.
Uncertainty surrounds the fate of Russian tankers in waters surrounding Ireland and the British Isles after the UK government announced a ban on all Russian ships following the invasion of Ukraine.
However Russian ships entering the deep water Shannon Estuary have so far sailed beyond these sanctions.
The Pola Feodosia cargo ship, whose home port is St Petersburg, where thousands of Russian anti-war protestors were detained last week, anchored off the Aughinish plant at 5.50am this Wednesday morning, after traveling via Germany, Latvia and Waterford Port.
It is understood that the four-year old, 6,266 gross tonnage cargo vessel would likely be anchored in the estuary for at least another day before taking on a load of alumina.
