Danica Crewing Specialists is helping to repatriate a Chinese crew stuck on a vessel in the Ukrainian port of Odessa.
Managing director Henrik Jensen said several merchant ships remain stranded at the terminal and it is believed all may have to leave their vessels.
The German crewing agency cannot reveal more about specific operations currently.
“The situation in Ukraine remains serious and tense,” Jensen said, but Odessa is the least affected city on the south coast.
Some missile attacks have been reported, but Ukrainian air defence has been able to intercept nearly all of them.
“All members of the Danica community are safe and our [Odessa] office staff continue to provide services to the best possible extent from home,” he added.
Danica also provided updates on other major seafarer centres in the country.
In Mykolaiv, shelling by the Russian military has led to widespread damage and there is a shortage of food and medical care.
“Fortunately, we have no reports of injuries in the Danica community,” Jensen said.
Mariupol cut off
Mariupol has been under shelling for several days, and water and electricity supplies to the city have been cut.
Two attempts over the weekend to establish a ceasefire and evacuate citizens through a humanitarian corridor failed.
“We have several seafarers at sea who have not been able to make contact with their families there for many days,” Jensen added.
Meanwhile, Kherson is under the control of the Russian military and is heavily damaged from missile and artillery attacks, Danica reported.
The city is supplied with water and electricity as well as internet connection, but there is a shortage of food and medical care.
“The city is home to many seafarers and fortunately we have no reports of any injuries among our seafarer families and seafarers at home,” Jensen said.
TradeWinds understands food is managing to get through to mariners there.
Some seafarers and their families have been able to leave Ukraine.
“We are in contact with many seafarers and family members who have been able to flee and we are assisting them wherever possible,” Jensen said.
“Many of them proceed to friends or rent apartments on their own. We have a number of refugees on the way to Hamburg, where we have a large number of volunteers who are offering assistance.”
Those arriving will be registered as asylum applicants and provided with accommodation, food and medical services by the German authorities as needed.
Paying Russian crew members is also increasingly difficult, Danica reported.
Mastercard and Visa have ceased their services in Russia.
“We are liaising with industry partners to try to find ways to transfer allotments to Russian seafarers,” Jensen said.
Danica’s office in Saint Petersburg reported that all cash machines and banks are running out of money and no US dollars are available.
