NICOSIA – Russia’s growing isolation from the world over President Vladimir Putin’s order to invade Ukraine has reached into the seas with the removal of its vessels from shipping registries, including on Russian-friendly Cyprus.

The Cyprus flag registry is reviewing and will likely remove all Russian-classed ships imminently, Shipping Deputy Minister Vassilios Demetriades told Lloyd’s List.

He said Cyprus asked the European Commission for clarification about the rapid exodus of Russian ships from the International Association of Classification Societies which expelled the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping.

“We have approached the (European Commission) with a set of questions that include ‘what are the next steps to be taken’, and based on the clarifications we receive, we will act accordingly,” he further said.

“We want to do something as soon as possible … we are just checking whether the EC are issuing any guidelines so we can have a harmonized approach,” he also told the site.

“We are ready to inform all the ships and companies affected (in the Cyprus registry), but we are waiting to see whether there will be any EC guidelines,” about how to proceed, he also added.

According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence Cyprus flags 22 vessels over 10,000 Dead Weight Tonnage (DWT) classed by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping, largely Liquefied Natural Gas carriers and crude oil tankers.