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The NGO Shipbreaking Platform has welcomed the Public prosecutor’s appeal of the Rendsburg District Court’s decision to acquit the shipowners involved in the illegal export and scrapping of the'Westerhamm'. While the ruling marked the first time in Germany that shipowners stand trial for violating environmental law through shipbreaking practices, the Court failed to hold them legally accountable, despite the judge’s own recognition of the environmental damage caused. In her oral statement, Judge Martje Heinsohn stated: “What you did was not right. You caused significant damage to the environment in order to achieve maximum profit. I can only appeal to you to give something back to the environment.” The container ship, which was operated by MSC and owned by the Rendsburg Schiffahrtskontor, sailed from Bremerhaven on Nov 2, 2016, then made stops in Gibraltar and Egypt before being beached in Alang, where was dismantled under conditions that are well documented to be highly hazardous for both workers and the environment. The export of end-of-life ships to India is illegal under the EU Waste Shipment Regulation. The Court’s decision to acquit was based on doubts about the timing of the intention to dispose the ship. The shipowners claimed that the decision to scrap the vessel was only taken when the vessel had left German waters and provided as evidence sales documents for scrapping that had been signed when the ship was in international waters. They also sought to argue that because the 'Westerhamm' was still operational when it left Germany, the ship could not be considered as waste under international and EU law, disregarding well-established jurisprudence that confirms a vessel can simultaneously be classified as both a ship and waste. Indeed, what triggers the classification as waste is the owner’s intent to dispose the asset, and because a ship is a waste that can move on its own, it remains also a ship subject to all other maritime regulations on its last voyage to the scrapping yard. The fact that the 'westerhamm' was still operational does therefore not negate its classification as waste under international and EU law. The public prosecutors have appealed the acquittal and maintained that internal communications confirming the “unconditional desire to dispose of the ship” as there was no market for its further operational use provide evidence of the intent to dispose of the ship.

On May 14, 2025,, the new Russian corvette "Merkuriy" was shadowed by the 'Echwege' as she left the Baltic Sea. Apparently, there is a connection to the ongoing negotiations on a possible ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. The "Merkuriy" had completed a maintenance break in the Baltic Sea and is said to be on its way to the Mediterranean. The "Merkuriy" was delivered just two years ago by the Severnaya Shipyard in St. Petersburg as the first of two "Steregutchichiy"-class corvettes for the Black Sea Fleet. 12 units have been laid down since 2006 at shipyards in St. Petersburg and on the Amur River. Following the initial delivery of four units each to the Baltic Fleet and the Pacific Fleet, two new ships are now being built for the Black Sea Fleet, which is based in Sevastopol on the temporary Russian occupied Crimea. The "Merkuriy" has not yet been able to be transferred to its home port of Sevastopol, as Turkey denied the ship the passage through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus in 2024 due to Russia's war against the Ukraine. The 'Merkuriy's' passage into the Mediterranean can also be interpreted as a sign that Russia is counting on being able to pass through the Bosphorus again soon. Russia currently has several frigates and support vessels in the Mediterranean, including the Black Sea Fleet frigate "Admiral Grigorovich," which was spotted near the Syrian coast in early May. The corvette "Soobraztelniy," a sister of the "Merkuriy," is also currently in the Mediterranean off the Algerian coast along with the Russian naval tanker "Kola," which serves as a floating refueling station. The military convoy that left the Baltic Sea on May 2 was also seen in the area this week. This convoy consists of the corvette "Boikiy" and three freighters carrying military supplies for Africa. The Russian Navy's activities along German waters were shadowed by Federal Police patrol vessels. The "Eschwege" from Neustadt, originally deployed as a training ship, was also in the Baltic Sea. It had to track the "Merkuriy" in the Fehmarn Belt at high speed. The Danish and Polish navies also deployed patrol units. The "Merkuriy" passed through the German economic zone and the Fehmarn Belt without any incidents in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 Convention on the Law of the Sea. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/russische-fregatte-der-schwarzmeerflotte-auf-dem-weg-ins-mittelmeer-MSR526U7U5HKZDFPNHYZC5NIKI.html?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawKTHb5leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqCurDXw_54pAunaU3kUAbeu_DkjYJo5pwLPJMnDjf8TQOQG4HN1s6hEN4m6_aem_QqRLlA1FFjlU3pma181lqw#Echobox=1747317849

A large-scale overnight drone strike by Ukraine struck Novorossiysk on May 3, 2025. damaging the country’s largest grain terminal and several apartment buildings.The attack triggered fires and forced authorities to declare a state of emergency in the port city, which is also home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Local authorities in Russia’s southern Krasnodar Krai confirmed that drones damaged three grain storage reservoirs at the KSK terminal, one of the region’s most important export facilities. The attack sparked a fire at the site. The terminal, which can store up to 220,000 tons of grain and handled over 10 million tons in 2024, is operated by the Moscow-based Delo Group.Delo Group, which assured that the terminal was continuing to function in line with internal procedures and guidance from authorities. Drone strikes had also caused fires in nearby areas, including Taman and Anapa. Russian electronic warfare systems had jammed the drones, causing them to fall into residential areas. Public transportation in Novorossiysk was suspended after the strikes, Drones also targeted the Rostov Oblast.

The fires caused by the huge explosion in the commercial port of Bandar Abbas on the morning of April 26 were still spreading two days later. Heat and fire detected by the NASA FIRMS system on the morning of April 29 still showed no signs of any retreat, with the area affected now having spread from the container park to the quays of the port itself. The firefighting services have been overwhelmed, even though reinforcements have been brought in from as far away as Tehran; two days after the initial explosion, some areas of the fire were not being tackled at all, and in other areas confused port workers who should have been evacuated were still wandering around or sheltering in empty containers in what was clearly still a dangerous area.

On May 15 the work to prepare for the salvage of the 'Bayesian' has resumed. It was halted after the death of a Dutch diver from Smit Salvage on May 9. The victim was probably hit by a piece of steel, possibly the boom, after an explosion while working with a cutting torch. An autopsy in a clinic in Palermo should provide clarity on this. The salvage operation is led by the British TMC Marine and carried out by Smit Salvage and Hebo Maritiemservice. Just before the work was stopped, TMC thought it would need another ten days or so for the preparatory work, including removing the boom and mast.

The Smyril Line has sold the 'Akranes' to Fred Olsen Express. The ship will be handed over to its new owner in Las Palmas on Gran Canaria in June or July. Next year, Smyril Line will take delivery of 2 newbuildings from a Chinese shipyard, one of which will replace the 'Akranes'. Until the newbuilding is delivered, the shipping company will charter the necessary replacement tonnage. Fred Olsen Express will deploy the 'Akranes', which will change its name to 'Breñas Cargo', on a route connecting La Palma with the islands of Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. The route is currently served by two ships that the shipping company took over from Finnlines last year, but will be expanded with the 'Breñas Cargo' once it is delivered.

One person was killed, and around 35 were injured in an Israeli airstrike on Hodeidah Port on May 5, 2025. The airstrike was in direct retaliation for a missile strike by Yemen's Houthi rebels that landed near Ben Gurion Airport in Israel. Around 20 Israeli fighter jets participated in the airstrike, targeting sites that were being used to support Houthi military activities. The targets included the port of Hodeidah and a cement factory near the port, which has been alleged to be used by the Houthis for the construction of tunnels.

On April 22, 2025,at 4 p.m. a gas leak on a barge on the Houston Ship Channel prompted community alerts. but no air quality threats have been detected. A vapor release occurred aboard a barge of the Kirby Inland Marine at the Targa Resources dock in Galena, Greater Houston, at the at 12510 American Petroleum Road. The leak released an unspecified quantity of butadiene, an industrial gas used for making plastics and synthetic rubber (like car tires). 1,3-butadiene is an EPA-listed carcinogen, an inhalation irritant, and highly flammable, but breaks down quickly in the atmosphere, limiting the time in which it can have an effect. The leak occurred because of a broken valve. It was contained at 10 p.m., and the barge was towed to a safe location belonging to the Kirby Inland Marine for further evaluations. The Targa Resources dock on the Houston Ship Channel has reopened to full service by the U.S. Coast Guard on April 23 at 3 a.-m. No injuries were reported from the gas leak. Report with video: https://www.click2houston.com/video/news/2025/04/23/chemical-leak-contained-after-barge-incident-at-houston-ship-channel/

An NL-Alert was issued on the morning of May 16 in connection with the large fire on the 'Trade' in the port of Amsterdam. This warning to stay out of the smoke has now been aimed at the centre of Amsterdam. The wind direction has changed and that was why a new alert has been issued. Four NL-Alerts were already issued earlier because the smoke was spreading far. Combating the fire remained a complex operation, as the ship consists of five separate cargo holds. The fire started in hold 4 and spread to hold 3. The intention was to empty the hold and extinguish the burning remains further on the quay. However, the hatches of hold 3 have become unstable due to the high temperatures. Scrap metal in that hold could thus no longer be reached and continued to burn. Soot particles have been found in areas where the smoke has passed over. The fire department advised to remove them with soapy water and not to eat vegetables from own vegetable gardens that have these particles on them. The municipality of Amsterdam reported that the priority is to limit damage and risks to the environment and to support all emergency services. Report with photo: https://www.schuttevaer.nl/nieuws/actueel/2025/05/15/veel-rook-bij-brand-op-schip-in-westelijk-havengebied-amsterdam/

The 'Ilse of Arran', serving on the route Kennacraig-Islay, suffered a hydraulic leak at the bow visor on May 13. As a consequence, the vessel operated to and from Port Askaig only. All other sailings were operated as scheduled. The service, however, was liable to disruption or cancellation at short notice. On May 15, the vessel operated to and from Port Askaig only, departing from Port Askaig at 07:00 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 6:15 p.m. and from Kennacraig at 10:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. All other sailings were operated as timetabled.

Drone strikes caused explosions in the of Port Sudan on May 6, 2025. The attack caused a blaze near the maritime port of Port Sudan, causing a massive plume of black smoke. No casualties have been reported in the incident. The drone strike targeted the main maritime port, the international airport, and a military base within the city.

Another airstrike was made by the US armed forces on the Houthi-controlled fuel port of Ras Isa on April 17, marking a major escalation of the US administration against the Houthi forces for their attacks on passing vessels in the Red Sea. The strike has destroyed multiple oil storage tanks, cratered a jetty at the port, and wrecked many tanker trucks. The Houthis have reported a casualty count of around 70 to 80 people and injuries to around 150-170 people, including port workers, truck drivers, and paramedics.