The situation of the ' Moby Drea' has become so complicated that the Adriatic country's Ministry of the Sea, Transport, and Infrastructure has ordered the Messina-based shipping company Med Fuel to leave its territorial waters within a week. The matter has reached the highest levels of government in the country, in a joint action in which, in response to protests from the city of Split, the vessel's presence violates Croatian law. Brodosplit stated that the shipyard operated in compliance with the Occupational Safety Act and current regulations, and official authorization for the work was obtained. The environmental inspection determined that the shipowner did not comply with the procedures required by the EU Regulation on the transboundary movement of hazardous waste, a responsibility that Brodosplit does not assume. This procedure is the sole responsibility of the shipowner. In this specific case, the waste was planned to be disposed of in Germany, after obtaining the necessary permits from the competent authorities in Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, and Germany. Brodosplit states that this does not involve 350 tons of toxic waste, but rather nearly 350 tons of asbestos-containing panels, a common component in ships built before 2001, as not all panels can be removed.
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DISNEY FANTASY
On the night of Aug 7, the SAR helicopter Helimer 402 carried out the medical evacuation of a passenger from the 'Disney Fantasy', en route from Vigo to A Coruña, which was sailing about 25 nautical miles from Porto do Son. The patient was transferred to the Alvedro Airport, where an ambulance was waiting for further transport to the CHUAC. The operation was coordinated by the CCS Fisterra of Salvamento Marítimo.
HAV GROUPER
The Federal Police vessel "Bad Bramstedt" sent a boarding team of federal police officers to the "Hav Grouper" on Aug 9, 2025. The ship typically travels between North Sea ports and the Baltic States. However, in July, the 34-year-old vessel spent five days in Kaliningrad, Russia. On the subsequent voyage from Liepaja to Kiel, the "Hav Grouper" performed unusual maneuvers at low speed south of the Swedish island of Gotland on Aug 7. These maneuvers took place in an area that also houses underwater cables. Following the incidents in the spring, when the Federal Police stopped a suspicious freighter in Kiel following a cable failure near Gotland, these particularly sensitive sea areas are being monitored by numerous naval units, coast guard vessels, and drones. Any suspicious maneuvers by merchant vessels are to be immediately recorded and evaluated. The Danish Navy initially observed the freighter, which was eventually taken over by the Federal Police. The patrol vessel "Bad Bramstedt" slowly followed the freighter from Gedser through the Fehmarn Belt to its anchorage off Kiel. The Federal Police inspected the "Hav Grouper" on Aug 9 at 11 a.m. as part of the "original performance of duties under the Federal Police Act." The authorities have not commented on the suspicion of sabotage. The Kiel Water Police were also on site with the patrol boat "Sprotte" and conducted an inspection in accordance with Marpol regulations. The inspections were completed in just under two hours. Customs also participated in the operation.
CG HAMILTON
On Aug. 2, 2025, the crew of the USCGC 'Hamilton' seized 4,133 lbs of cocaine and detained three suspects after interdicting a vessel, which had been spotted jettisoning packages while patrolling the high seas of the Eastern Pacific. 50 packages tested positive for cocaine. Report with photos: https://x.com/USCGSoCal/status/1952418582559969708
BLUE
The 'Blue', in laden condition abd with a false flag, switched off its AIS signal before entering the Irish EEZ. It loaded crude oil at Ust-Luga and departed on July 31, 2025. The tanker is being sanctioned by both the UK and EU, as well as cited by Greenpeace as a danger to the marine environment. The 'Blue' is falsely showing registry in Benin. Since 2020, the vessel has had four different identities and claimed registry under six different flags: Benin, Antigua and Barbuda, Liberia, Palau, Djibouti, and Cyprus. Since 2024, management has been reported from Turkey. The ship drew particular attention because of its apparent false flag. The Irish Coast Guard has instituted specific measures used to monitor the increasing number of shadow fleet tankers transiting the Irish EEZ. This includes deploying the Air Corps and Naval Service. However, unlike the UK and the Baltic nations, Ireland is not specifically challenging vessels to confirm their identity and insurance information. The 'Blue' resumed transmitting an AIS signal on Aug 8. It showe the vessel is heading for the Suez Canal, traveling at a speed of 10 knots. The vessel is likely bound for India, which continues to buy Russian oil.