US says Russian vessels infringe anti-North Korean sanctions

WASHINGTON/VLADIVOSTOK, Mar 22 (PRIME) -- The U.S. has extended the list of vessels that are believed to have engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with North Korean tankers, therefore infringing the sanctions, with the Russian Tantal and Vityaz vessels, the U.S. Department of the Treasury said in a statement late on Thursday.

The list of vessels is not a sanctions list, the authority said.

A representative of Alisa, the owner of Vityaz, told PRIME that the ship has never been to North Korea or contacted with the country’s vessels.

The statement also indicated the ports of Vladivostok and Nakhodka as ports of call for vessels infringing U.S. anti-North Korean sanctions.

A representative of the Nakhodka port told PRIME that it has never accommodated sanctioned vessels.

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