News

Scientists working aboard the 'Atlante' have located the first of what are believed to be hundreds of thousands of barrels with nuclear waste on the seabed. Little is known about their condition. They have already discovered more than 1000 barrels in the Northeast Atlantic. The research team of the French research organization CNRS. set off from Brest on June 16, 2025., to a search area in the Western European Basin of the Atlantic. They plan to spend four weeks searching for nuclear waste barrels and assessing their impact on the local ecosystem. The autonomous diving robot Ulyx is equipped with a camera for 3D images and a sonar system for locating objects using sound and is used to find the nucelear waste, which several countries simply dumped into the sea between the 1950s and 1980s as a seemingly cheap and easy solution for disposing of nuclear waste generated by industrial development and laboratories. It wasn't until 1993 that the disposal of nuclear waste in the ocean was finally banned. At least 200,000 barrels are believed to be in the Northeast Atlantic alone at depths of 3,000 to 5,000 meters. However, the exact location of the nuclear waste is unknown. Little is known about the condition of the barrels and whether they are located individually or in groups. The researchers are therefore currently working in the area where probably half of the waste ended up. The team wants to create a map of nuclear barrel finds and take numerous samples from water, the seabed, and animals. The drums were designed to withstand the pressure of the depths, but not to truly contain the radioactivity.

A medical emergency on the 'Queen of Westminster' has resulted in sailing delays on the Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay route early on June 25. A passenger required immediate medical attention and the vessel had to return to Tsawwassen to allow immediate medical treatment ashore. This resulted in the 6 a.m. sailing of the ferry from Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay being delayed and pushed the 10 a.m. sailing 73 minutes behind schedule. The 12 p.m. departure from Swartz Bay, the 2 p.m. departure from Tsawwassen, and the 4 p.m. departure from Swartz Bay were also delayed, Travellers were advised to check the BC Ferries website for updates.

Royal Navy warships have once again intervened to escort Russian ships passing through UK waters. The HMS 'Duncan' began to escort the Russian corvette 'Boikiy' as she entered the English Channel off the coast of Brittany on June 20, 2025. The HMS 'Mersey' took over shadowing duties on June 21, as the 'Boikiy' passed the Isle of Wight heading eastwards, while HMS 'Duncan's crew returned to training. The Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said Russian warships appear to be transiting through the English Channel more frequently, and every time they do a Royal Navy vessel will be keeping an eye on them to defend British waters and keep the undersea cables safe. The Steregushchy-class corvette, which was commissioned in 2013, was tracked in UK waters by HMS 'Tyne' in May and was shadowed by HMS 'Somerset' in March. Using its sensors and powerful radar, HMS 'Duncan' was able watch Boikiy's movements closely, as the Russian ship continued its journey back home from the west African coast. It was also noticed she was missing an anchor. Also recently, the HMS 'Trent' and Wildcat helicopters from the 815 Naval Air Squadron shadowed the Russian frigate 'Admiral Grigorovich' as she sailed past Gibraltar, through the English Channel and into the North Sea, while HMS 'Mersey' has tracked Russian warships five times this year. REport with photos: https://www.forcesnews.com/services/navy/royal-navy-warships-team-shadow-russian-vessel-passing-through-uk-waters

On June 20, 2025, the 'Prima' was detained in Karadeniz Eregli with 26 deficiencies, 19 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Oil record book Not as required 2) Certificate & Doc - Log-books/compulsory entries Entries missing 3) Safety of navigation - Magnetic compass Inoperative 4) Safety of navigation - Navigations records Not as required 5) Fire safety - Fire fighting equipment and Appliances Not as required 6) Water/Weathertight - Railing, gangway, walkway and means for safe passage Not as required 7) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Record Book Not as required 8)) Pollution Prevention - Other (Marpol Annex I) Other 9) Structural conditions - Bulkhead - corrosion Corroded 10) Living and working - Cleanliness Not as required 11) Living and working - Furnishings Not as required 12) Living and working - Electrical Unsafe 13) Living and working - Ventilation (Accommodation) Not as required 14) Living and working - Ventilation (Working spaces) Not as required 15) Living and working - Obstruction/slipping etc Not as required 16) Living and working - Galley, handlingroom (Maintenance) Not as required 17) Emergency systems - Abandon ship drills Lack of training 18) Emergency systems - Fire drills Lack of training 19) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on June 22 and left the port enroute to Damietta with an ETA as of June 28. The last detention was only on Jan 14 in Zonguldak with 26 deficiencies for six days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

Royal Navy warships have once again intervened to escort Russian ships passing through UK waters. The HMS 'Duncan', a Type 45 destroyer, began to escort the Russian corvette 'Boikiy' as she entered the English Channel off the coast of Brittany on June 20, 2025. The HMS 'Mersey' took over shadowing duties on June 21, as the 'Boikiy' passed the Isle of Wight heading eastwards, while HMS 'Duncan's crew returned to training. The Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard said Russian warships appear to be transiting through the English Channel more frequently, and every time they do a Royal Navy vessel will be keeping an eye on them to defend British waters and keep the undersea cables safe. The Steregushchy-class corvette, which was commissioned in 2013, was tracked in UK waters by HMS 'Tyne' in May and was shadowed by HMS 'Somerset' in March. Using its sensors and powerful radar, HMS 'Duncan' was able watch Boikiy's movements closely, as the Russian ship continued its journey back home from the west African coast. It was also noticed she was missing an anchor. Also recently, the HMS 'Trent' and Wildcat helicopters from the 815 Naval Air Squadron shadowed the Russian frigate 'Admiral Grigorovich' as she sailed past Gibraltar, through the English Channel and into the North Sea, while HMS 'Mersey' has tracked Russian warships five times this year. REport with photos: https://www.forcesnews.com/services/navy/royal-navy-warships-team-shadow-russian-vessel-passing-through-uk-waters