Working Conditions Aboard the Elisabeth-Russ

**Title: 'Elisabeth Russ' Detained in Palermo Over Safety Issues** On April 16, 2026, the Italian Coast Guard took action against the roll-on/roll-off vessel 'Elisabeth Russ,' detaining the ship in Palermo due to significant safety violations. The inspection, initiated as the roro ship docked, uncovered numerous critical deficiencies that compelled the authorities to impose administrative detention until all issues were adequately addressed. This marked the third such vessel detained by the Western Sicily Maritime Directorate in the year. The 'Elisabeth Russ', operated by a crew primarily consisting of Polish and Romanian nationals, faced scrutiny for its emergency preparedness, particularly concerning firefighting protocols. Major shortcomings were noted, including improperly executed emergency procedures and a concerning lack of maintenance on lifesaving equipment and essential gear for safe navigation. Furthermore, safety equipment was often obstructed or rendered non-functional due to excessive loading conditions. As a consequence of these violations, the vessel was required to remain docked in the port of Palermo until it met the minimum standards set forth by international maritime regulations. After rectifying the irregularities and receiving the necessary approvals from maritime authorities, the 'Elisabeth Russ' was cleared to depart on April 20. The ship subsequently set sail for Valletta, arriving at its next destination on April 21.

On March 9, 2022, the 'Elisabeth Russ' notified the Gabinete de Investigação de Acidentes Marítimos e da Autoridade para a Meteorologia Aeronáutica (GAMA) in Lisbon of a propulsion loss and temporary drift en route from Palermo to Genova. The ship berthed in Genova on March 10 at 7 a.m. and left the port again on March 12 at 8.35 p.m., headed to Valletta with an ETA as of March 14. The GAMA has started the procedures for collecting evidence for analysis and has notified the European Commission through the EMCIP platform. No injuries or pollution resulted from the incident.

The demand for freight capacity in the Baltic Sea has been growing steadily over the last number of years and Stena Line is supporting this growth through investing in a new route from Poland to Sweden, Gdynia-Nynäshamn, which will commence operations from October 16th 2017 with six trips a week, the company said in its press release. Stena Line has been operating the route from Gdynia to Karlskrona for over 20 years. The new route will operate its first sailing on the 16th October and will be operated by the chartered RoRo vessel Elisabeth Russ which is a freight only ferry carrying a mix of, trucks with drivers, trailers and containers. The ship will operate 3 round trips from Gdynia and Nynäshamn with a sailing time of 18 hours.