On the night of July 24, 2025, the 'MN Kostas', with 14 crew members on board ran aground off the northeastern tip of Crete, en route from Sitia to Chekka with a cargo of gypsum. The ship got stuck on a reef about six nautical miles off Sitia, and about three nautical miles west of Sideros in pos. 35° 19' N 026° 15' E. It suffered hull damage and water ingress. The Greek Coast Guard deployed three patrol boats to the grounding site. All crew members were safely evacuated aboard the f/v 'Anna Tasia', with the assistance of nearby fishing vessels and private crafts. The castaways were taken to Sitia. There were no reports of injuries. The authorities were monitoring the area for any signs of pollution. An oil boom was laid out around the ship. The three tugs 'Achilleas', 'Captain Dimitris IV' and 'Mentoras' were initially deployed from Heraklion to assist. A fourth tug was expected to arrive to provide further technical support. On July 28, the offshore tugs 'Captain Dimitris III' (IMO: 9515072) and 'Aigaion Pelagos (MO: 9477012) were stationary at the grounding site, joined by the 'Captain Dioitris IV' (IMO: 9998236) on July 29, which remained on site as of July 31. Divers inspected the hull for damage. The Sitia Port Authority sent personnel aboard the 'Anna Tasia'. and launched a preliminary investigation into the grounding. The ship’s captain and the acting bridge watch officer have been arrested. They were being investigated under Article 277, paragraph 2 of the Greek Penal Code for causing a shipwreck, and Article 225 of the Public Maritime Law Code for violating regulations aimed at avoiding collisions, in this case, with a reef. Earlier in 2025,, the ship was cited for labour-related violations. The International Labour Organisation reported that the crew had only received half of their wages for four months, with a total of nearly $18,500 owed. The issue was later resolved. Report with photo and video: https://www.hcg.gr/el/epikairothta/prosara3h-fg-ploioy-sth-shteia-entopismos-kai-diaswsh-113-allodapwn-notia-ths-gaydoy/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv0PixBdXAI
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WAN HAI 503
The 'Wan Hai 503' remained stable and under close monitoring. The vessel was still being towed by the salvage team and is located in waters near the India-Sri Lanka maritime boundary as of Aug 15. The salvage team was in the process of liaising with potential ports of refuge. Decisions on the final port of refuge will take into account the overall suitability for the vessel as well as the handling of fire-damaged cargo. the The ship was 130 nautical miles from the Indian coast off Cape Comorin. The plan was to move it further out to sea, while discussions continued on a port of refuge. This has continued, although the area is subjected to monsoons at this time of year. There was no clear determination for the direction of the ship and a potential resolution. It has been suggested it might be towed to the Middle East. Hapag-Lloyd, which shared cargo aboard the ship, confirmed on Aug13, that the request for a port of refuge in Sri Lanka has been declined by the authorities.
EXCELLION
Russia launched a series of drone and missile attacks on the Odessa region on the night of Aug 19, 2025, at approximately 8:00 p.m. LT, and continuing into the early hours of Aug 20, targeting oil storage tanks of the Triton oil depot, port infrastructure at Izmail, and the 'Excellion', which was docked at the facility, carrying petroleum products, The attack, conducted with 20 Geran drones, triggered a series of about 30 explosions. The tanker suffered heavy damage to its starboard superstructure. Preliminary reports indicated that the ship has been damaged beyond repair. The strike also destroyed two of the six diesel storage tanks, each with a capacity of about 5,000 cubic meters, Infrastructure used for fuel transfer, including a high-pressure pumping station. One civilian was injured. The 'Excellion' had arrived from Sulina on Aug 19 and was unloading when the attack took place. Report with video: https://www.maritimedanmark.dk/tankskib-ramt-ved-russisk-droneangreb-pa-izmail-havn
SUPER JET 2
On the afternoon of Aug 19, the Port Authority of Amorgos was informed by the Captain of the “Super Jet 2” about a strong vibration in the outer port side engine, due to the inflow of an obstruction, upon its arrival at the port of Katapola. The ship, coming from the port of Koufonisi, sailed safely to the port of Amorgos, disembarking the 35 passengers, who were then transported to their destinations by the ship-owning company, with the Cyprus-flagged “Express Jet. The “Super Jet 2” was initially banned from sailing from the Amorgos Port Station. After presenting a certificate of seaworthiness from the classification society that monitors it, it was allowed a single voyage, without passengers, to a shipyard in Salamina.
SILJA SERENADE
In the middle of the night of Aug 19, 2025, the 'Silja Serenade' unexpectedly turned sharply between Åland and Helsinki, causing it to list significantly and passengers became worried. The turn was stronger than planned due to a too large rudder angle, but that it did not pose any danger. Passengers expressed criticism for the lack of information about the incident, while the shipping company explained that the night was not considered appropriate to announce details and risk waking more people. China and glass in the ship's restaurants had crashed and broken. Hans Friberg, operations manager at Tallink Silja, was notified of the incident during the night. Report with photos: https://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/a/EyG3dK/silja-serenade-fick-kraftig-slagsida-trodde-vi-skulle-kantra?fbclid=IwY2xjawMTqYFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkdZB27JIUR_ZrTAJp_VsfgJGeOSsJ1Ahp_nDtxNkWNV7LlCawlAYQwuJfd4_aem_z0_uRIpRbOWkLV8Va8caHA&utm_medium=share&utm_source=androidapp