John Helmer, a long-term Russian correspondent for a variety of titles, has launched a book this week looking at the UK court battles Sovcomflot, Russia\u2019s largest shipping line, fought for more than a decade.<\/p>\n
Entitled Sovcomplot: How pirates tried to capture the treasure of the Russian seas<\/em>, and were caught out<\/em>, the 240-page tome also includes more recent history such as the sanctions placed against it and its Dubai subsidiary Sun Ship Management in the wake of war with Ukraine.<\/p>\n \u201cThe plot itself is reported for shipping industry experts who have never before had the opportunity to open Russian state secrets like these. The book is also for rival oil and gas trade and tanker company executives. It\u2019s for readers who want to watch Putin up close and personal as he\u2019s not been seen before,\u201d promotional material for the book states.<\/p>\n As a Russian shipping correspondent for a number of international maritime titles, Helmer told Splash<\/em> he was attacked by Sergei Frank, Sovcomflot\u2019s long-term boss, at the High Court in London. \u201cYou might say he inspired me,\u201d Helmer said.<\/p>\n In conversation with Splash<\/em>, Helmer said today\u2019s sanctions against Russia \u2013 and Sovcomflot in particular \u2013 had divided the international shipping community.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a community any longer, at least not as it was,\u201d Helmer said, adding: \u201cThis break-up has meant that Chinese, Indian, Greek and other fleet operators, brokers, port authorities and regulators are going to treat the US, UK and EU sanctions as illegal and ignore them. They feel comfortable dealing with Sovcomflot; they aren\u2019t going to advertise this for the obvious reason that the war has put a stop to transparency in ship chartering, oil cargo pricing, and vessel tracking as we\u2019ve been accustomed to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Splash<\/em> contacts connected to the multiple corruption court cases involving Sovcomflot that stretched on for more than a decade in the UK suggest the total costs involved topped more than \u00a31bn ($1.26bn) in the end when finally concluded two years ago.<\/p>\n Splash<\/em> readers can buy the book here<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n