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Sea Bridge Ferry Waits Off Sochi for Third Day Awaiting Local Berthing Authorization

Regional officials cite unresolved safety procedures despite federal registration of the route.

Overview

  • The ferry from Trabzon has remained at anchor near Sochi since the morning of November 6 with 20 passengers aboard, who have been provided food and water.
  • SVC Shipping says the vessel received permission to enter Russian internal waters on November 7 and completed inspections, yet it is still awaiting Krasnodar’s authorization to dock.
  • The route is registered with Russia’s Transport Ministry as a year‑round service through 2027, according to the organizer, who insists all documents are in order and plans to continue operations.
  • Krasnodar authorities maintain the launch is premature due to unresolved safety issues, echoing Governor Veniamin Kondratyev’s earlier criticism of an incomplete test voyage.
  • Separately in Moscow, smoke on the river vessel Chechera at Novospassky pier led to a temporary pier closure and a transport‑prosecutor safety inspection, with a preliminary finding of a battery short circuit and no injuries reported.