Russia's military has military equipment for export again. On April 30, a military convoy consisting of three freighters and a frigate was observed for the first time in the Baltic Sea. The "Jiaganghangbeng 01" had the Russian Navy's flag flying from its mast. The Russian frigate "Boikiy" used the Chinese name to camouflage itself and escort the Russian heavy-lift carriers "Baltic Leader," "Patria," and "Siyanie Severa." The freighter convoy is fully loaded. More than 10,000 tons are on board, as the draft suggests. The convoy set off on the evening of April 29 from the Russian naval port of Baltiysk in Kaliningrad, Russia's largest military depot on the Baltic Sea. Its destination is the Mediterranean. The Danish Navy and the GErman Federal Police have been shadowing the convoy since that day. The task force vessel "Bamberg" followed the "Boikiy" from Rügen through the Kadet Trench and the Fehmarn Belt. The NATO will also be closely monitoring the convoy in the coming weeks. The convoy is the largest Russian military transport in the Baltic Sea since January 2022, when six landing ships left the Baltic Sea with equipment for the Ukraine campaign and headed for the Black Sea. The last convoy sent from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean was in December, with the heavy-lift freighters "URSA Major" and "Sparta." The "URSA Major" sank during the voyage after an explosion off the Algerian coast on Dec 23. The destination could be Libya. Russia is currently very active in the Sahel region. From bases in Libya, they can expand their influence in the region. Satellite images have shown construction activities since February at the Libyan military airport Maaten al-Sarra, which has been closed since 2011. The military base is strategically located in the Sahel region. From there, deliveries of military equipment to Sudan, Niger, Chad, and Burkina Faso are easily feasible. The use of these roll-on/roll-off vessels suggests that Russian military vehicles are also being transported. The deployment of so much equipment raises the suspicion that the war in Ukraine is no longer a priority. In 2024, a large portion of the military equipment retrieved from Syria was also sent to Ukraine.
News
TOR ELBE
On May 5, 2025, the 'Tor Elbe', en route from Hamburg, suffered an engine failure and allided with the inland tanker 'Daniel Deymann' (MMSI: 211888330) when entering the new southern lock iof the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel. The inland water tanker suffered water ingress, and the Brunsbüttel fire brigade attended on site to pump out the water. The 'Tor Elbe' suffered minor damage. No injuries were reported on either ship. The lock chamber was taken out of service until further notice. The "Daniel Deymann" was allowed to sail to the Ostend station dolphins without a tug and left the lock chamber at 2:30 p.m. The "Tor Elbe" had to take a tug, the "Fairplay-51," and proceeded to the sailing ship dolphins. It left the lock chamber at 2:50 p.m. The new southern lock then reopened at 3:00 p.m. The 'Daniel Deymann' left Brunsbüttel on May 6 at 7.30 a.m. and berthed in the Kohlefleet Port in Hamburg at 10.50 a.m. The 'Tor Elbe' berthed in the communal port of Rendsburg on May 6 at 2 p.m.
ROADRUNNER
On May 3, 2025, at around 01:10 a.m., a fire broken out in the galley of the 'Roadrunner',that was moored alongside a second ship in the harbour of Dintelmond to spend the night. Shortly afterwards,two crew members attempted to extinguish the fire themselves. When that didn't work, the alarm was raised. The fire brigade responded with the fire boat 'Furie 4'. Fire engines from Dinteloord and Willemstad also attempted to extinguish the ship's fire from the shore. The skipper suffered burns to his upper arms and had inhaled smoke. He was taken away by ambulance for a check-up. The dog had hidden in the smoke-filled hold of the ship and was found and rescued by the fire brigade. Report with photos: https://www.bndestem.nl/moerdijk/brand-in-keuken-binnenschip-dintelmond-schipper-loopt-brandwonden-op~a930628f/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fbinnenvaartlog.nl%2F&fbclid=IwQ0xDSwKEbp5leHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHn6EV_hDt5jkt38ySgFyjGfkW9Q0r0eTslqR62NinOowaFYM7x5qqcyYH89__aem_anxTi_l0C2y5TJIwgzdelg
CRYSTALWATER
On April 24, 2025, the ' Crystalwater' was detained in Kocaeli with 16 deficiencies, three of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Endorsement by flagstate Expired 2) Fire safety - Fire doors/openings in fire resisting division Not as required 3) Fire safety - Remote Means of control (Machinery spaces) Not as required The vessel was released again on April 26 and proceeded to the Ereglisi Anchorage.
MSC BALTIC III
On May 2 MSC has confirmed they have hired contractors to start building a road to the 'MSC Baltic III'. 14 cargo containers have been removed from the vessel and placed on the barge to be transported to the container terminal in Corner Brook. Four frac tanks, used to remove fuel, aboard the vessel are full and waiting to be pumped to the barge for final removal. 250 cube metres of fuel have been removed from the vessel to date.
KMP.MUCHLISA
On May 5, 2025, the 'Muchlisa' sank off the coast of Penajam Paser Utara (PPU) in East Kalimantan. The ferry had departed from Kariangau Port, Balikpapan at around 11:30 a.m. WITA, but suffered an engine failure and a suspected leak just 30 minutes into its voyage. The vessel began to tilt to starboard side and sank in a water depth of about 20 meters, only 200 meters from the shore. A total of 44 people were onboard, including 21 crew and 23 passengers. 42 people have been rescued . Onecrew member has been confirmed dead, and aother crew member remained missing, with search efforts ongoing by the joint rescue team.
ERIN ELIZABETH
A barge being pushed by the 'Erin Elizabeth' struck the historic Hudson-Athens Lighthouse on the early morning of April 30, 2025. It damaged its dock and newly installed access stairs. The 150-year-old lighthouse, a cherished mid-river structure on the Hudson River, was already listed among America’s 11 most endangered historic places due to long-term foundation deterioration. The tug was pushing seven barges when it ran aground near the lighthouse at around 2 a.m. during an outgoing tide. In an attempt to manoeuvre out of the mud while outside the shipping channel, the vessel allided with the lighthouse’s east-facing dock and the southeast stairway, both were destroyed.
MAERSK NOMAZWE
The 'Maersk Nomazwe', which had departed Algeciras on April 22, 2025, diverted to assist the 'Naersk Sana', after it was struck by an engine room explosionon April 28. One crew member from the 'Maersk Sana' received First Aid onboard the ship while the others were first moved to the 'Maersk Nomazwe', and on April 30 were evacuated to Bermuda. One was them was treated and discharged while the other crew member remained in the hospital. The 'Maersk Nomazwe' has resumed its voyage to Newark, where it is due to arrive on May 3.
DANIEL DEYMANN
On May 5, 2025, the 'Tor Elbe' (MMSI: 211505920), en route from Hamburg, suffered an engine failure and allided with the 'Daniel Deymann', when entering the new southern lock iof the Kiel Canal in Brunsbüttel. The inland water tanker suffered water ingress, and the Brunsbüttel fire brigade attended on site to pump out the water. The 'Tor Elbe' suffered minor damage. No injuries were reported on either ship. The lock chamber was taken out of service until further notice. The "Daniel Deymann" was allowed to sail to the Ostend station dolphins without a tug and left the lock chamber at 2:30 p.m. The "Tor Elbe" had to take a tug, the "Fairplay-51," and proceeded to the sailing ship dolphins. It left the lock chamber at 2:50 p.m. The new southern lock then reopened at 3:00 p.m. The 'Daniel Deymann' left Brunsbüttel on May 6 at 7.30 a.m. and berthed in the Kohlefleet Port in Hamburg at 10.50 a.m. The 'Tor Elbe' berthed in the communal port of Rendsburg on May 6 at 2 p.m.
GLEN SANNOX
A fault in a weld seam forced the 'Glen Sannox' out of service for two days for repairs in March, two months after being deployed on the the route Troon- Brodick. The 130mm defect close to the waterline included a 25mm section that had let in a small amount of water. Holes were drilled at each end of the crack to prevent it expanding and the seam was re-welded. The defect was on the starboard side of a machinery space near the starboard rudder. Investigations have so far discovered vibration in this particular area of Glen Sannox, which may have caused the seam to crack. Mitigations are now in place for the vibration, which only occurs near where the crack appeared. Further investigation into the root cause of the vibration was underway and CalMac and Ferguson Marine were working together on this. CalMac has said such minor weld defects had been found in some of its other ferries, but none were in the three smaller vessels built by Ferguson Marine in the 2010s. The fault forced the cancellation of sailings between Troon and Brodick in Arran, one of the company’s busiest routes, when initially discovered. It came after the 'Glen Sannox' was taken out of service for a week in February to replace parts in the anchor system. The Ferguson Marine yard has come under intense scrutiny due to the delayed and over-budget Arran ferries 'Glen Sannox' and 'Glen Rosa'.
SEA BEAUTY
On the morning of May 2, the 'Sea Beauty' was disabled following an engine failure in the Aegean Sea, about four nautical miles off Cape Kafireas, enroute from Elevsina to Thessaloniki with a cargo of 1500 metric tons of steel. A nearby vessel monitored the 'Sea Beauty' until the crew was able to restore the power on board.
CONSCIENCE
On May 2, 2025, at 12:23 a.m. Maltese time, the FreedomFlotilla ship 'Conscience' was subjected to a Israeli drone attack. The front of the vessel was targeted twice, resulting in a fire and a breach in the hull. The ship is currently located in international waters near Malta. An SOS distress signal was sent. The drone strike appeared to have deliberately targeted the ship’s generator, leaving the crew without power and placing the vessel at great risk of sinking. The attack took place as the ship was preparing for activists to board from another vessel. A transfer at sea had been planned rather than the ship going to harbour, for bureaucratic reasons. By 2:13 a.m. all 30 crew members were confirmed safe but refused to board a Maltese tug. The ship remained outside territorial waters, and the fire was brought under control with assistance of the tug. Reports with photo and video: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/05/02/europe/gaza-flotilla-ship-sos-intl-hkn https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/europe/gaza-flotilla-ship-sos-intl-hkn
