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Sanctioned Russian freighter, suspected of spoofing, crossed the Strait of Gibraltar

The 'Pizhma' crossed the Strait of Gibraltar on Dec 15, 2023, heading towards the Atlantic. The ship is sanctioned by the United States as suspected of illegal activity between the Black Sea and Syria. According to an analysis by the CSIS (Center for Strategic & International Studies), the 'Pizhma' could have been militarized by the Russian authorities, to carry out some strategic missions. The AIS recorded a trip of the 'Pizhma' from Novorossiysk to Alexandria, Egypt, between May 31 and June 7. The ship apparently departed Alexandria two days later, on June 9, and returned to Novorossiysk sometime before June 15. However, satellite images of the Novorossiysk naval base showed that the 'Pizhma' was loaded with unknown cargo in Novorossiysk between June 8 and 11, indicating an example of AIS spoofing, a common tactic for ships involved in illegitimate activities. The presence of the ship in a Russian naval facility, the impersonation used to conceal its presence and the fact that it received a naval escort during its subsequent voyage to Tartus suggested that it was is being used for military purposes or other activities that Moscow would like to hide, said the CSIS report.

68 migrants rescued off Kalymnos

The 'Pizhma' rescued 68 migrants on June 19, 2023, off the island Kalymnos from the troubled Greek yacht 'Avalon', which was en route from the Turkey. All of them were taken to the neighbouring island Leros. Also the Russian warship 'Admiral Gorschkow' participated in the operation after having received a distress call in the night.