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UK ship insurance provider West sees problems paying claims with sanctions-hit Russian company

Paying claims for ships involved in mishaps or crashes with other vessels covered by sanctionshit Russian insurance company Ingosstrakh will show challenging, UK ship insurance provider West said, in another sign of problems with Moscow's oil trade.

In June Ingosstrakh, which offers services to Russian oil exporters including ship insurance coverage cover, was added to the UK's. sanctions list of Russian entities in what the British. government stated became part of efforts to increase financial. pressure on Moscow.

West is among 12 clubs providing security and indemnity. insurance to ships, which covers third-party liability claims. including ecological damage and injury. The 12 insurance providers,. which form the International Group of P&I clubs, cover around. 90% of the world's ocean-going tonnage.

In among the first industry actions to the UK sanctions,. West stated in an advisory today it may be constrained on our. ability to supply cover for members with regard to any. liabilities incurred with another vessel insured by. Ingosstrakh.

This is specifically the case where that is by way of a. planned operation such as a ship-to-ship transfer of oil, it. said.

In the event of a crash with an Ingosstrakh-insured. vessel, West included that its members are recommended that the club. may require to seek a licence to pay or reimburse any resulting. liabilities.

Such a licence might require time to get, if undoubtedly it can be. gotten at all.

Ingosstrakh, which has said it might legally challenge the UK. sanctions, did not right away respond to an ask for remark.

By targeting Ingosstrakh, the UK intends to stop the provision. of insurance coverage cover for these shadow fleet vessels which was. mainly provided by Ingosstrakh, making it significantly more. challenging for these ships to access ports, Jonathan Moss,. global head of transportation at law firm DWF, composed in a July note.

Up to 850 oil tankers are approximated to form the so-called. shadow fleet transporting oil from nations such as Iran and. Venezuela as well as Russia, which has multiple restrictions on. its oil exports.

(source: Reuters)