03 January 2025

Captain of Cargo Ship Sentenced in Ukraine for Illegal Entry into Sevastopol Port

Shevchenkivskyi District Court of Kyiv has delivered a verdict against the cargo vessel USKO MFU captain, who was detained in July 2024 in the port of Reni, Odesa region. The captain was found guilty of illegally entering and exiting the closed Sevastopol Commercial Seaport, violating Ukrainian law and international maritime regulations.

According to the published court ruling, the Azerbaijani citizen was convicted under Part 2 of Article 332-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine—violation of the procedure for entering and exiting the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine, committed repeatedly by an official using their official position. The court imposed a fine of 6,000 non-taxable minimum income (102,000 UAH) and prohibited the convicted person from operating maritime transport for two years. The maximum penalty under this article is up to five years of imprisonment.

Ukrainian investigators established that in May 2024, while operating the vessel USKO MFU under the flag of Cameroon, the captain violated Ukrainian legislation and international maritime law by illegally entering the closed Sevastopol Commercial Seaport. In June 2024, the captain also conducted an illegal departure from the port.

“To conceal his illegal activities, the accused periodically turned off the AIS (Automatic Identification System) and entered false data about the vessel’s course, which constitutes a violation of maritime safety requirements,” the court ruling states.

The verdict does not disclose the captain’s name, and no public comments from the convicted individual have been reported.

This case highlights Ukraine’s steadfast commitment to defending its sovereignty and holding accountable those who violate its territorial integrity and legal norms.