About 150 ships queue for Russia's Gulf of Finland ports as Black Sea traffic falls

About 150 vessels, 65 tankers and 85 cargo ships, were waiting on 30 September to reach Russian ports in the Gulf of Finland, The Maritime Executive reports, citing an analysis by the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. Most were bound for the Ust-Luga area, with others heading for Primorsk and St Petersburg, and a line of 46 ships stretched more than 30 miles into the Baltic. The outlet links the build-up to Ukraine's intensified attacks on Black Sea shipping, which have pushed Russian cargoes north to Baltic ports. According to the report, Ukraine has sanctioned some of the waiting vessels over alleged arms smuggling, carrying stolen Ukrainian goods and sanctions evasion. Finnish authorities said they were following the situation closely.

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