On May 9, 2024, Houthi militants continued targeting the MSC Mediterranean Shipping company vessels, asserting them as ‘Israeli Ships’. The militants claimed to have attacked the 'MSC Gina', 'MSC Diego' and the 'MSC Vittoria'. However, a statement of the Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree did not provide any details nor any of the international security agencies have confirmed the attack. The military tracking operations have also not identified any new attacks on vessels or received information from ships operating in that region. The last report provided by UKMTO about the explosion near a merchant vessel came on May 7, when missiles were launched from Yemen that might have targeted the 'MSC Gina', which had departed from Sri Lanka, amd the 'MSC Diego', which had sailed from Oman, in the Gulf of Oman. Currently both vessels were providing extra assistance in the region to Djibouti. The Houthis had also claimed to have fired twice on the 'MSC Vittoria' in the Indian Ocean and laer in the Arabian Sea. This attack was also not recognized by the military tracking operation nor any information was received from the vessel.
News
KRITI RUBY
The chief engineer and 2nd engineer of the 'Kriti Ruby' admitted to charges over a discharge of oily waste near a New Jersey petroleum terminal in 2022 and concealing the pollution by falsifying records. Konstantinos Atsalis, 57, the chief engineer, pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark, N.J., federal court to an information charging him with two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships, including falsifying the vessel’s oil record book. Sonny Bosito, 54, the 2nd engineer, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships. Atsalis admitted that the vessel’s crew had knowingly bypassed required pollution prevention equipment by discharging oily waste from the vessel’s engine room through its sewage system into the sea, including near a petroleum offloading facility in Sewaren on the Arthur Kill waterway between New Jersey and Staten Island in September 2022. Atsalis also admitted that he falsified the vessel’s oil record book, a required log regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard, by failing to record the discharge and that he directed crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers of oily waste from the engine room bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard boarded the vessel. Bosito admitted concealing the discharge of oily waste into the sea through the vessel’s sewage system by causing a false oil record book to be presented to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection of the vessel. Bosito admitted directing crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers from the bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard’s inspection. The charges to which Atsalis and Bosito pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Oct. 22, 2024.
Beirut
The Lebanese army on Sep 3 found a further 4.35 tonnes of the explosive ammonium nitrate a month after 2,750 tonnes of the substance exploded in the harbour and destroyed large parts of the city. The explosive substance was found in a warehouse immediately outside one of the entrances to the port, and engineers from the army took care of it. Simultaneously with the new discovery, it emerged that the outgoing Prime Minister Hassan Diab told the head of the investigation of the catastrophic explosion that he knew of the existence of the large amount of ammonium nitrate at the port before the explosion. 25 suspects have been arrested so far, including the port's chief of staff Hassan Koraytem and customs chief Badri Daher. Among the others arrested were also three Syrian workers who carried out welding work at the warehouse, where the huge amount of ammonium nitrate was stored, on the day the explosion took place. Up to 200 were killed and about 6,500 injured in the blast, causing damage to a double-digit billion.
Kiel
https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/schleswig-holstein/NOK-Havarie-Frachter-fuhr-ohne-Lotsen,schleuse886.html
CHRYSTAL ARCTIC
The 'Chrystal Arctic', heading west from Vadinar to Ain Sukhna on the morning of May 10, 2024, was approached by a small boat with six people on board about 100 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The people on board were armed, and a ladder was spotted in the boat. Armed guards on board the tanker fired warning shots that were answered by the pirates. After the exchange of fire, the tanker changed course, while the boat with pirates abandoned the pursuit. A frigate from EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta was nearby in the meantime and took the pirates into custody and treated several of them for more or less serious injuries. However, it was unclear whether the injuries were from the exchange of fire.
Vladivostok
The typhoon Maysak crushed onto the port of Vladivostok on Sep 3, 2020, wreaking havoc at the Navy base and in the commercial port. A floating dock in the base broke off her moorings, drifted along the piers and hit berthed submarines and other ships. The amount of damage was yet unknown. The container terminal at the ommercial port was flooded. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=Yr8JHgunKNY&feature=emb_title
Kiel
An investigation was launched into the allision of the Panama flagged cargo m/v cargo m/v 'Else', 2449 gt ( IMO: 9006320 ), enroute from Klaipeda to Les Sables with a cargo of ammonnium nitrate, with the northern lock of the Kiel Canal in Kiel-Holtenau upon entering the lock on Aug 29 at 5 a.m. at the pier of the Lindenau Yard in Kiel-Friedrcrichsort. Usually ships stop about 800 meters off the locks on the Kiel Fjord to take a pilot on board, and may only proceed once he has embarked. The 'Else' had ordered a pilot but continued its voyage without reducing speed and crashed into the closed gate with about six knots. The gate was severely damaged, and inspections by divers were to start on Aug 31 to find out if the submerged tanks of it were damaged too. The lock was closed for shipping for the time being, leaving only one of four locks in Holtenau in operating condition. One gate is still under repair after having been hit by the container m/v 'Akacia' 2,5 years ago, another gate is under repair too. It was investigated if this could be used once the now damaged gate has been removed.
DALI
On May 9 the Key Bridge Unified Command prepared to use small charges for controlled demolition of portion of bridge that were lying across the 'Dali'. Using precision cuts made with small charges was regarded as the safest and swiftest method to remove the bridge piece from on top of the vessel, whic is an industry-standard tool in controlled demolition that will break the span into smaller pieces, which will allow the work of refloating the vessel and removing it from the federal channel. The operation was initially scheduled to take place on May 11, sometime after 5:30 p.m. local time (EDT). US Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class Ronald Hodges told CNN on May 10 the controlled demolition will not happen on May 11 due to the adverse weather forecast. The Key Bridge Response Unified Command will determine if there’s an opportunity for the demolition to take place on May 12. Photos: https://www.keybridgeresponse2024.com/post/update-23-photo-release-key-bridge-unified-command-prepares-to-use-small-charges-for-controlled-dem
Andernach
Vorbeifahrt Rheinufer 56567 Neuwied-Feldkirchen (Fahr am Rhein) Gegenüber dem Industriehafen Andernach 26.08.2020 - Imperial Gas 79 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuTSSugJmIk&feature=youtu.be 26.08.2020 - MISSOURI Cargo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgkscB-aLoY 26.08.2020 - WSP14 Wasserschutzpolizei https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjHD9XwE9X8 26.08.2020 - VOYAGE Tankschiff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m7xqvoroX8