
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will also affect the availability of mariners, with international shipping in danger of immediately facing a shortage of both officers and lower crew. At the same time, this shortage will force shipowners to increase the salaries of seafarers as part of the policy of attracting crews, resulting in an increase in the operating costs of the ship, according to estimates by Drewry, which specializes in measuring operating costs in shipping.
Both Russia and Ukraine have provided a large number of officers and junior crews to the global merchant fleet for many decades. Drewry estimates that the number of Russian officers is 46,500 and the number of Ukrainians is 41,000, while the lower crews are estimated at about 41,200 and 32,400 respectively.
It is noted that the merchant navy officers in total are about 650,000 and about 920,000 sailors serve as junior crews. The Russian and Ukrainian sailors therefore represent about 13% of the world fleet officers, while the lower Russian-Ukrainian crews represent 8%.
Drewry notes that the entire “pool” of Russian and Ukrainian sailors will not be affected, but the longer the conflict continues, the more likely it is that the supply of much of the available officers will be affected. As for the lower crews, the offer is more flexible, as the required training period is much shorter than for the officers and therefore new “sources” of sailors can be found.
Also, Russian and Ukrainian officers are mainly employed on tankers, both oil and gas, which require highly specialized and experienced officers. Therefore, the main effects will be felt in these sectors.
Although some seafarers (Russians and Ukrainians) may stay out of the two countries presently at war, this percentage is small, so there will be a problem with Ukrainians moving from their country to ships and from ships to their country.
Alternative sources
Especially for Russian sailors, the ban on many non-Russian airlines to use their airspace and reciprocal bans on Russian airlines are likely to affect travel to and from ships. Also, the supply of Russian seafarers can be further affected by visa restrictions imposed by the international community.
Given the rapidly changing situation, employers may think twice about hiring Russian sailors if they can not transport them safely onto ships as planned. Banking restrictions also imposed on Russia could make seafarers’ payments problematic. For Drewry, Indian sailors are likely to be the main alternative, although there are other nationalities.


Latest News

Moody’s Upgrades Greece to Investment Grade, Ending Crisis Era
The rating agency raised Greece’s long-term credit rating to Baa3 from Ba1, with a stable outlook.

EFET on World Consumer Day: Humanity Faces New Challenges
This year’s message emphasizes the need for a transition to sustainable lifestyles while safeguarding consumers’ legally recognized rights. This means ensuring access to essential goods such as food and energy, as well as health and safety.

Athens Hotels Lead Europe in Value Growth for Third Year
Over the entire period from 2015 to 2024, the average annual increase in hotel value was 6.1%.

Unemployment Rate in Greece Down 8.9% in January: IOBE
The unemployment rate in Greece recorded a further decline in January 2025, reaching 8.9%, according to the latest Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE) report.

Demand for Short Term Rentals in Greece Surges Ahead of Easter
Among the most popular Easter destinations from Good Friday to Easter Monday are Corfu, Hydra, the Peloponnese, Ioannina, Patmos, Loutra Edipsou, Kavala, Thassos, and Pelion

Opposition Reacts Strongly to Greek Government Reshuffle
PASOK's spokesperson, Kostas Tsoukalas, characterized the reshuffle as a clear indication of Mitsotakis' "strategic deadlock."

Greece’s Economy Awaits Moody’s Verdict on Investment-Grade Rating
The stock market has reflected strong performance, with the general index showing resilience and a lack of inward-looking caution.

Greek PM Reshuffles Cabinet after No-Confidence Vote
The most notable changes in the Greek cabinet reshuffle include Kostis Hatzidakis being appointed Deputy Prime Minister and Kyriakos Pierrakakis taking over as Minister of National Economy and Finance.

Mitsotakis: Greece-Israel Strategic Ties Increase Stability in East Med
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made the statement in welcoming Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar to his office on Thursday

Conference Tourism in Greece Targets €6-7BLN
Currently, the Greek conference tourism generates €2 billion in revenue, ranking 47th globally in terms of total turnover in the international conference industry