Hamburg, 2023 / 04 / 26

Leonhardt & Blumberg stands in solidarity with Ukraine

The war in Ukraine shattered our illusions that a war (of this scale) was no longer possible in Europe. As a shipping company, we were directly affected by the war from the start of the invasion.

On the morning of 24.02.2022, when the Russian invasion of Ukraine began, our ship the HANSA LIMBURG was ready to depart from the port of Odessa. We experienced chaotic conditions on-site and were heavily involved in ensuring that the crew and ship were able to leave the port again safely. In the immediate aftermath of news of the invasion, a special working group within the company met to coordinate a safe departure. This was also achieved thanks to combined strength; our ship was one of the last to leave the port and was able to sail safely to Istanbul as part of a convoy that even came under fire on occasion.

This incident marked the start of our commitment to Ukrainians. Shortly after, we offered all Ukrainian sailors and their families accommodation in Germany. Leonhardt & Blumberg feels a strong connection to its Ukrainian sailors and, for us, it was a matter of course that we would offer direct assistance similar to during the Covid crisis. For our Ukrainian colleagues, it was important that their families had a reliable arrival point in Germany, if desired. We would also like to thank all of our office employees, who showed great solidarity in helping with the set-up and providing the essentials. We are proud of the team spirit shown by colleagues on land and on board.

Since the start of the war, a total of 96 people have taken up this offer. Nine of these have since returned or travelled to another country.

There are currently 46 adults, 23 children and 18 sailors in our care.

Additional facts:

• On 6 May 2022, a Ukrainian child was born here
• We now have two Ukrainian colleagues in crewing