The crew of a Portuguese warship has refused to board a Russian ship they were tasked with escorting north of Porto Santo Island over security concerns, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported Tuesday, citing a military report
MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 14th March, 2023) The crew of a Portuguese warship has refused to board a Russian ship they were tasked with escorting north of Porto Santo Island over security concerns, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported Tuesday, citing a military report.
The 13-member Portuguese crew drafted a report in which they said they decided not to board the Russian ship under their supervision on Saturday night due to bad weather conditions and a number of technical constraints, the news agency said, citing the report.
Among the technical constraints, the Russian ship allegedly had issues with its engine and electric generator as well as lacked a sewer system to safely store oily waste on board, which the Portuguese crew considered a fire hazard.
The Portuguese navy has confirmed to the news agency that NRP Mondego indeed suffered an engine failure, but the mission to be performed was short, near the coast, and with good meteorological and oceanographic conditions.
