Georgia says SILVAR entered its territorial waters before UK sanctions were imposed
Sanctioned SILVAR vessel
Following the UK’s decision to impose sanctions on the vessel SILVAR, Georgia‘s Maritime Transport Agency said the ship had called at a Georgian port at a time when it was not subject to any international sanctions and its presence in Georgian territorial waters was therefore entirely lawful.
Earlier, the United Kingdom announced a new package of sanctions against Russia. According to the British Embassy in Georgia, the measures target Russia’s “shadow fleet”, military supply networks and financial schemes used to circumvent sanctions.
The embassy said the sanctions list also included the vessel SILVAR, which had been present in a Georgian port earlier this year. According to the British authorities, nearly 500 individuals and entities have been sanctioned under the UK’s Russia sanctions regime since the beginning of 2026.
The Maritime Transport Agency said SILVAR entered the Georgian port of Kulevi in February 2026 and was not under sanctions at the time.
According to the agency, competent authorities carried out a multi-layered inspection before the vessel’s arrival in Georgia and found no active international sanctions or legal restrictions against the ship, its owner, operator or any other related parties.
The agency also noted that SILVAR was sailing under the Panama flag at the time, held a valid classification certificate from Lloyd’s Register, and was covered by the appropriate marine insurance. Its registered owner and technical manager had also been fully identified.
The agency further stressed that the vessel underwent a port state control inspection near Skagen in Denmark in December 2025. The inspection identified only four minor deficiencies and did not result in the vessel being detained, which, according to the agency, indicated compliance with international safety requirements.
According to the agency, SILVAR operated on standard international shipping routes and called at ports across Malta, Denmark, Egypt, Malaysia, India and China, among others.
In light of these circumstances, the agency questioned the need to mention Georgia in the statement issued by the British Embassy and said it did not understand why Georgia should be linked to a vessel that was not subject to any international sanctions while operating in or visiting the country.
“The entry of any vessel into Georgian ports is subject to strict legal, sanctions and security checks. Georgia is not, and will not become, a platform for circumventing international sanctions,” the agency said.
The agency added that the effectiveness of international sanctions rests on legal certainty and the principle that sanctions cannot be applied retroactively. It therefore argued that it was inappropriate to assess a vessel’s activities on the basis of sanctions imposed several months after its presence in Georgia.
