Owner Of Russian Tanker Vityaz From US Treasury List Denies Having Contacts With N. Korea

Russian company Alisa, the owner of the Vityaz tanker, included in the US list of vessels believed to be engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean tankers in violation of international sanctions, told Sputnik on Friday it did not have contacts with North Korea

VLADIVOSTOK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2019) Russian company Alisa, the owner of the Vityaz tanker, included in the US list of vessels believed to be engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean tankers in violation of international sanctions, told Sputnik on Friday it did not have contacts with North Korea.

On Thursday, the US Treasury published an updated North Korea Sanctions Advisory, which claimed that Russian ships Tantal and Vityaz were allegedly involved in petroleum supplies to North Korea.

"Our vessels, including Vityaz, have not sailed abroad for a long time.

We have never worked with North Korean vessels. Tanker Vityaz has never entered North Korea," the company's representative said.

Including vessels in such lists as the US list of ships believed to be engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean tankers could cast a slur on shipowners' reputation, the spokesperson insisted.

The company representative noted, however, that such moves would not affect vessel owners if they had a good reputation on the market.