News date: 11 November 2026
Sergey Nedelko, Attorney at Law, Counsel, and Head of Ilyashev & Partners’ Odesa Office, spoke at the scientific and practical seminar “Maritime Law and Business During the War 2026: Shipping Under Fire”, which took place on 6 November 2026 in Odesa. The Ukrainian Bar Association Maritime Law Committee and the Transport Law Committee of the Odesa Region Bar Council organized the event.
In his report “State Guarantees for Compensation of Losses to Shipowners”, Sergey Nedelko analyzed the mechanisms for providing compensation from the state budget funds to shipowners and cargo owners whose assets suffered damage while staying in the territorial sea of Ukraine, within the Temporary Maritime Route, and in open seaports during the carriage of non-military cargo.
Sergey outlined the key criteria for providing state support, in particular for cases where insurance contracts or P&I policies do not provide coverage for war risks, and also reviewed the categories of losses subject to compensation (loss or constructive total loss of a vessel, expenses for salvage operations, loss or damage to cargo, environmental pollution response, crew repatriation, etc.).
In particular, he emphasized the need to submit a full package of documents to the Ministry for Development – an application letter, copies of insurance policies, and asset valuation reports prepared in accordance with Ukrainian legislation – within a strictly defined 180-day period from the date of the damage.
“The adoption of the Cabinet of Ministers Resolution No. 1248 is an extremely important step towards stimulating port calls to Ukrainian ports and supporting shipowners who continue operating despite constant war threats. The state will compensate up to 80% of the assessed damage if the relevant war risks are not covered by the insurer. At the same time, the mechanism for implementing these guarantees requires flawless legal support: from the proper formation of the evidence base and completing the damage assessment procedure to the proper execution and compliance with strict deadlines for submitting documents to the specialized ministry,” emphasized Sergey Nedelko.
The event brought together leading maritime lawyers, cargo owners, representatives of agricultural holdings, metallurgical enterprises, port terminals, and shipping agents. Participants discussed war risks in charterparties, force majeure issues, specifics of vessel and cargo insurance, as well as practical mechanisms for resolving dispute issues regarding contract performance under war risk conditions. Separately, the participants touched upon the practical implementation of mechanisms for compensation of damage caused as a result of hostilities and the armed aggression of the Russian Federation.
The Ukrainian Bar Association Maritime Law Committee unites attorneys and experts specializing in maritime law, insurance, transportation, and commercial shipping. The Committee promotes the development of maritime law in Ukraine, the dissemination of best practices, the exchange of experience among industry professionals, and the establishment of dialogue between the professional community, business, and government authorities.
The Transport Law Committee of the Odesa Region Bar Council deals with legal regulation of the transport sector and promotes the development of legal practice in maritime, road, rail, and aviation industries.