Open-source intelligence (OSINT)
IMPORTANT 【重要】莫爾達紹夫
普京的俄國寡頭之一，莫爾達紹夫（Alexey Mordashov）的超級遊艇「諾德」（Nord）從2022年10月5日起停泊香港一事是個政治事件。香港境內流通的本土和外部媒體有關事件的報道都不分所謂建制和反對派，而基本上都是反對派HKFP報導的分享，95%大致一致。從這點上也看得出來，香港媒體界是在哪種勢力的手裡。重要的則是，原來一直停泊在俄羅斯遠東港口海參崴的「諾德」（Nord）來港是個高度政治操縱。香港媒體，連VOA也都沒有做任何分析，幾乎沒有任何媒體對此做分析。這也是奇怪的事。
其實，「諾德」（Nord）從9月28日離港時早已以香港為最終目的地。根據《商船(本地船隻)(一般)規例》 ，一次申請最多可停泊182日（仍然可延長）。美國國務院觀望3日後在10月8日做出反應了。美國會否為此制裁香港尚未確定。「諾德」（Nord）的停泊也是合法的。香港海事處的態度也是堅定自主獨立和親俄的。那問題在哪裡？
重點在於，莫爾達紹夫（Alexey Mordashov）根本不在該船上，甚至對「諾德」（Nord）而言，避免西方制裁的最好停泊地點理所當然地是俄羅斯，因此，「諾德」（Nord）來港是毫無需要的。換言之，俄國對外情報局SVR為何默許讓美國瞄準的「諾德」（Nord）特地停泊在香港呢？ 其結局當然是美國國務院的強烈反應和對港制裁的風險升高，也就是根本沒有做風險評估的海事處貿然批准極具爭議性的「諾德」（Nord）停泊香港是忽視國家安全的輕舉妄動。
實際上，俄國和美國的政治利益在將中國拖進俄美國際爭端上一致的。對俄國而言，在俄美衝突之際，拉攏中國的最佳途徑是叫美國去威脅中國；而對美國而言，最想拖進衝突泥沼中的最終目標是中國，因此只要把中國捲入麻煩的國際爭端就是成功的，意在擾亂中方。不像本港所謂‘磚家們’的固定觀念，美國根本不乏盟友，更不是單刀獨打的。同時可以叫49個國家/地區（所謂不友好國家/地區；https://tass.com/russia/1484099）去直接與中俄衝突的。
那麼，在此事件上，什麼是國家安全呢？ 俄國和美國都要為各自利益把中國拖進衝突裡面之際，千方百計遏止任何國際爭端的風險，即決不讓香港淪為任何國際爭端的舞台。這就是對外中立化的底線，也就是身為國際城市的整個香港的根本利益所在。海事處的處事態度嚴重欠缺國家安全的政治考量。 無論如何，俄方蓄意讓「諾德」（Nord）停泊在中國香港的政治作為是危害仍處脆弱的本港國家安全的。在演變成中美衝突之前，應當勸告盡快離港。「諾德」（Nord）不僅毫無必要停泊香港，也堅持不離港是蓄意製造中美衝突的證據。
The docking of Alexey Mordashov's super-yacht Nord, one of Putin's Russian oligarchs, in Hong Kong from October 5, 2022, is a political event. Both local and external media reports circulating in Hong Kong do not distinguish between the so-called pro-establishment and opposition parties, but are basically based on the opposition HKFP reports, which are 95% consistent. From this, we can see what kind of power is controlling the Hong Kong media in general. The important thing is that the Nord, which had been anchored in the Russian Far East port of Vladivostok for a long time, is a highly politically manipulated ship in Hong Kong now. The Hong Kong media, even VOA, did not do any analysis, and almost no media did any analysis on this. This is also a strange thing.
In fact, Nord bounded for Hong Kong on September 28 with Hong Kong as its destination. According to the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (General) Regulation,
a maximum of 182 days of berthing is allowed in one application (extensions are still possible). The U.S. Department of State reacted on October 8 after three days of waiting. Whether the U.S. will sanction Hong Kong for this is uncertain. "The berthing of Nord is also legal. The attitude of the Hong Kong Marine Department is also firmly independent and pro-Russian. So, what is the problem?
The point is that Alexey Mordashov is not even on board the ship, and even for Nord, the best place to anchor to avoid Western sanctions is, of course, Russia, so Nord's arrival is unnecessary. In other words, why did the SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence service, acquiesce to the U.S.-targeted Nord's special berthing in Hong Kong? The result, of course, was a strong reaction from the U.S. State Department and the heightened risk of sanctions against Hong Kong, meaning that the Marine Department, which had not done any risk assessment at all, rashly approved the highly controversial berthing of Nord in Hong Kong as a reckless move that ignored national security.
In fact, the political interests of Russia and the United States are aligned in dragging China into the Russian American international dispute. For Russia, the best way to draw China into a conflict between Russia and the U.S. is to provoke the U.S. to threaten China; while for the U.S., the goal is to drag China into the quagmire of conflict, so simply involving China in a troubled international dispute is a success and is intended to disrupt the Chinese side. Unlike the fixed concept of the so-called 'experts' in Hong Kong, the US has no shortage of allies and is not fighting alone. At the same time, 49 countries/regions (so-called unfriendly countries/regions; https://tass.com/russia/1484099) can be called into direct conflict with China and Russia simultaneously.
So, what is national security in this case? Hong Kong must do everything possible to stop any risk of international conflict while both Russia and the United States dragging China into the conflict for their respective interests, i.e., HKSAR should not allow Hong Kong to become an arena for any international conflict. This is the bottom line of external neutrality and the fundamental interest of Hong Kong as an international city. The attitude of the Marine Department is seriously lacking in political considerations of national security. In any case, the Russian side's deliberate political act of allowing the Nord to berth in Hong Kong, China, is a danger to Hong Kong's national security, which is still fragile. It should be advised to leave Hong Kong as soon as possible before it turns into a conflict between the United States and China. Not only is the presence of Nord in Hong Kong unnecessary, but its insistence on not leaving Hong Kong is evidence of a deliberate attempt to create a conflict between the United States and China.
NEWS 【事實關係】
普京盟友39億港元超級遊艇泊港 美國警告香港：提供避風港勢損聲譽
俄羅斯總統普京政治盟友、有「鋼鐵寡頭」大亨之稱，正受歐美多國制裁的俄國富豪（Alexey Mordashov），其估值約5億美元（折合約39億港元）的超級遊艇「諾德」（Nord）停泊香港水域。因應事件，美國國務院10月8日警告香港不要為受制裁的寡頭提供避風港，這勢將損害香港作為金融中心的聲譽。海事處指特區政府沒有權力，亦不會實施其他司法管轄區施加的單方面制裁。[…]
「諾德」是於10月5日駛入香港海域，6日晚上泊於堅尼地城與昂船洲之間的水域。本網記者7日中午出海，一度駛至與「諾德」僅5米之遙，近距離接觸這艘氣勢攝人，比珍寶海鮮坊長約兩倍的「海上皇宮」。
「諾德」全長142米（約465英尺），高22.48米，排水量10154噸。艇上設有兩個直升機坪，船首一個，頂層甲板一個。遊艇內設電梯，好比一艘迷你郵輪，艇上有20間豪華艙房；另外，戲院、健身室、泳池、燒烤場、水療室、桑拿室、美容院等一應俱全。
莫爾達紹夫今年57歲，彭博社估計，2021年的身價為291億美元，現在縮水不小，約180多億美元。 西班牙、意大利、法國、斐濟等一些國家的政府都採取行動配合美歐制裁，對這些寡頭們的遊艇等資產實施扣押或凍結，以加大對普京的壓力。 美國和歐洲政府已經扣押了十多艘被列入製裁名單的俄羅斯寡頭的遊艇，總價值超過22.5億美元。歐洲各地港口已經禁止部分俄羅斯寡頭的遊艇離開。 據港媒報導，香港海事處表示，港府一直全面實施及執行聯合國安理會的製裁，個別國家可能基於自身考慮向某地進行單方面製裁，港府沒有權力也不會實施其它司法管轄區的單方面製裁。[…]
據多家媒體報導，北方號超級遊艇在俄烏戰爭爆發後就一直停泊在俄羅斯遠東港口海參崴（符拉迪沃斯托克），在上週（9月28日）離開那裡，穿越日本海、東中國海，一路駛向越南峴港，隨後於10月5日抵達香港，目前停泊在香港堅尼地城與青衣中間水域。 港媒說，外國遊艇在香港水域連續停留時間最長不能超過182天。 彭博社說，莫爾達紹夫的發言人周四表示，這個億萬富翁目前人在莫斯科，但拒絕就這艘超級遊艇的下落髮表評論。 今年三月，意大利警方凍結了莫爾達紹夫位於地中海薩丁尼亞島價值1.05億歐元的物業和他的豪華遊艇“Lady M”號。這艘遊艇價值6500萬歐元。
9月28日，Nord離開海參崴，原本登記的目的地為越南峴港，但到10月5日駛到香港。
根據海事處資料，Nord從俄羅斯遠東港口海參崴出發，10月5日下午4點14分抵港，到「西面檢疫及入境船隻錨地」停泊，即堅尼地城和青衣之間的海域。該船代理人為位於黃竹坑的「艪思動遊艇有限公司」（Lodestone Corporation Limited）。
未來36小時離港船隻名單中，未有Nord的紀錄。目前所有抵港船隻，需抵港前不少於24小時書面通知海事處並獲允許，要提供國旗、抵港目的、保險提供者名稱等資料。[…]
Nord原本在英國海外屬地開曼群島（Cayman Island）註冊，或為規避制裁而改為俄羅斯註冊，今年3月西印度洋島國、英聯邦國家塞舌爾（Seychelles），駛至俄羅斯遠東港口海參崴，之後曾駛經日本海至韓國（南韓）釜山港。
除了莫爾達紹夫的遊艇，其他俄羅斯寡頭的遊艇，已紛紛駛離歐洲或英聯邦國家，改到俄羅斯本土或親俄國家註冊及停泊。
Announcing the measures against Mordashov in June, the US Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control said it was taking “action to degrade the key networks used by Russia’s elites, including President Vladimir Putin, to attempt to hide and move money and anonymously make use of luxury assets around the globe.”
Files leaked as part of the Pandora Papers revealed Mordashov’s ties to companies linked to a close Putin associate, and show how he made his vast fortune – helped by accounting firm PwC.
While a number of private yachts and aircraft have been seized as a result of sanctions – including one owned by Mordashev in Italy in March – in recent months the Nord has sailed from the Seychelles to the Russian port city of Vladivostok, where it was largely based before departing for Hong Kong on September 27.
Responding to an enquiry from HKFP, a spokesperson from the Marine Department said it “do[es] not comment on any individual cases of vessel entry into Hong Kong.”
美國政府表示，香港的商業前景可能會因特區政府不採取行動而進一步蒙上陰影，指香港作為金融中心的聲譽，取決於對國際法律和標準的遵守情況。
對於香港海事處表示，特區政府不會，亦都無權力實施其他司法管轄區的單方面制裁，美國國務院發言人稱，這可能會鼓勵被制裁的人到香港居住，以香港作避風港，令外界進一步質疑香港商業環境的透明度。
(i) 根據《商船(本地船隻)(一般)規例》(第 548 章，附屬法例F)第 8 條，除非 獲海事處處長允許，否則來自香港以外地方的遊樂船隻不得在香港水域內航行。如有關遊 樂船隻(a)須要參與香港水域內的賽事、到船廠進行維修或更換停泊地點;或(b)會在香港 水域航行作樂，訪港遊樂船隻的船長/船東須向海事分處申請在香港水域內航行的允許。 申請人遞交申請時，須出示就船隻在香港水域內作業所簽發的有效第三者風險保險單，而 有關保險的保額不得少於港幣 500 萬元。
NORD
抵港、離港船隻 (只提供英文版)
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抵港、離港遠洋船隻及非公約船舶(包括本地領牌船隻、內河／沿海／澳門船隻和訪港遊艇)
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COMMENT 【評語】
雖然「諾德」（Nord）停泊香港是完全合法的，但是為了避免西方制裁，「諾德」（Nord）最好的停泊地點是俄國。毫無理由來港停泊。甚至，停泊香港只會意味著中美衝突的風險升高。簡言之，俄國和美國的政治利益在將中國拖進俄美國際爭端上相一致的。香港的國家安全在於盡最大可能不讓香港淪為任何國際爭端的舞台。
Although it is perfectly legal for Nord to call at Hong Kong, the best place for Nord to call is Russia in order to avoid Western sanctions. There is no reason to call at Hong Kong at all. Even a call to Hong Kong would only mean a higher risk of conflict between the United States and China. In short, the political interests of Russia and the United States coincide in dragging China into a Russian-American international dispute. The national security of Hong Kong lies in not allowing Hong Kong to become an arena for any international disputes to the greatest extent possible.
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