LAVRENTIOS

The vessel is designed to carry heavy vehicles and can accommodate up to 700 tonnes of cargo, including up to 20 trucks and more than 130 passengers.
Since 2015, in violation of Ukrainian legislation and the ‘Crimean’ sanctions, the vessel has been making frequent calls to the ports of the TOT of Crimea (Kerch, Komysh-Burun, and the port of Crimea), delivering cargo, including dangerous goods, and transporting russian military personnel.
On 27 July 2022, the vessel made a so-called ‘technical’ (trial) voyage from Yeysk (Krasnodar Territory, russia) to the temporarily occupied city of Mariupol (Ukraine), which is likely used by the russian military to arrange the supply of weapons, military equipment and military personnel to the TOT of Ukraine.
Since October 2022, together with the ferry ‘Maria E’ (IMO 9617923), it has been operating on the strategically important for Russia line ‘Crimea-Caucasus’, which, according to Oboronlogistika LLC, is focused on the delivery of civilian and construction cargo to the TOT of Donbas (the vessel has been already involved in this route in the period from 2015 to 2018 before the commissioning of the Crimean bridge).
The vessel was involved in fulfilling the tasks set by the supreme commander-in-chief of the russian federation at the Kerch ferry crossing.
Since March 2018, the vessel has been involved in the transportation of troops and cargo for the benefit of the Rosgvardia on the ferry route ‘port of Kavkaz - port of Kerch,’ and in November 2022, it was used by the russian company OBL-Trans LLC, a member of the Oboronlogistika group of companies, in the multimodal delivery of medical equipment (a 27-tonne russian-made mobile tomograph) to the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea.
The vessel is owned and operated by OBL-Shipping LLC (IMO 5945681, TIN: 9705070412, under Ukrainian sanctions), which is a subsidiary of the sanctioned Oboronlogistica LLC (IMO 5906931, TIN: 7718857267). Obl-Shipping LLC also manages the vessels ‘Pizhma’ (IMO 8814354), ‘Ambal’ (IMO 8807416), ‘Sparta II’ (IMO 9160994) on strategic routes important for russia, constantly monitors the serviceability of the fleet, compliance with the rules of safe operation of vessels, etc., and is a certified company for the provision of services for the maritime transportation of nuclear materials, radioactive substances, and radioactive waste.