Three Japanese insurers that were due to stop providing insurance to shipping companies sailing in Russian waters from next month said on Monday that they were in talks with reinsurers to continue providing the insurance.

Spokespeople for Tokio Marine & Nichido, Nippon Insurance, and Sumitomo Mitsui told shipowners on Friday that they would no longer provide marine war insurance to ships sailing in Russian waters starting Jan. 1. Their claims were confirmed by local media on Saturday.

These changes will affect Japan's imports of energy and commodities such as liquefied natural gas.

The Japanese insurer's decision came as global reinsurers said they would no longer take on ship risks associated with Russia's war in Ukraine that began in February. Russia called the war a "special military operation".

"We are in talks with various reinsurers to regain war catastrophe insurance in this region for our clients," said a spokesman for Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire, adding that some reinsurers had responded positively.

There are two types of insurance for most ships: marine insurance against natural damage or burns and marine insurance due to war and terrorist incidents. Without maritime war insurance, ship owners would have to stop operating in Russian waters.