Maine port turns away Russian ship

EASTPORT, Maine — A Russian vessel carrying 8,000 tons of a petroleum-derived product was denied a request to dock at the easternmost tip of the U.S.

The ship’s operator asked on March 3 to dock in Eastport, Maine, after being turned away from a port on the St. Lawrence Seaway by the Canadian government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Eastport ultimately rejected the short-notice request from the ship.

“For a myriad of reasons, it was not in our best interest to entertain the vessel,” Chris Gardner, executive director of the Eastport Port Authority, said Tuesday.

The Fesco Ulis, which is classified as a general cargo ship, was operating under the Russian flag and was carrying a petroleum product called solid pitch, which is used in manufacturing.