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The National Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA) has taken control of the 'Anka', which entered the port of the temporarily occupied Crimea in violation of Ukrainian law. The ship was handed over to the ARMA for further sale by a decision of the investigating judge on the basis of a petition filed by the SBU Main Directorate in the AR of Crimea within the framework of criminal proceedings on illegal entry into the temporarily occupied territory. The vessel belonged to Russia's shadow fleet. At the end of 2024, it transported 5,000 tons of wheat from the port of Sevastopol, which was stolen in the temporarily occupied territory of southern Ukraine. The 'Anka' is owned by the Fab Petrol Doo, a company registered in Montenegro. The vessel is worth $420,000. Specialists from ARMA's Southern MTU conducted a technical inspection of the vessel, which confirmed that the asset was in good technical condition and ready for further use. Currently, the Interregional Department is collecting all the necessary information about the asset to form a high-quality tender offer.

Two years after damaging the Balticconnector pipeline and communication cables in the Gulf of Finland, the 'Newnew Polar Bear' has set sail for the Arctic again. Ot received a permit for Russia’s Northern Sea Route on July 22 and is currently heading north in the Sea of Japan in the direction of the Bering Strait. Russian authorities cleared the vessel to transit the Arctic in both westward and eastward directions between Aug 1 and Oct 31. This will be the vessel’s first return to Europe and the Arctic since the incident. Beijing officials initially had claimed that the dragging of the anchor was an accident caused by severe storm conditions, though meteorological conditions at the time were mild for the Baltic Sea in fall. Investigators and industry experts remained skeptical that the vessel could have accidentally dragged its anchor unnoticed for more than 100 nautical miles. The 'Newnew Polar Bear' incident caused more than $40 million in damages and for months disrupted regional energy and communication infrastructure. A criminal case against the captain Wan Wenguo is currently winding its way through the Chinese court system, with another round of hearings not before September 2025.

The Port of Beirut (PoB) resumed partial operations on Aug 10 with the first two container ships berthing in the container terminal after the explosion which killed at least 160 persons, injured thousands and made hundred thousands homeless. Out of 16 cranes at the container terminal, 12 were currently operational. The port was gradually resuming operations to ensure the supply of all kinds of goods to citizens. Bassem Al Kaissi, the new Director of the PoB, said that the container terminal will be fully operational by Aug 14. Al Kaissi said that 420 containers were unloaded on Aug 10. The container terminal storage area has been cleaned up and restored to its state before the blast. The container terminal represents 80 percent of the overall cargo movement at the PoB. It is located one kilometer away from the blast epicenter. Container vessels can dock at quay number 16. Shipping movement at the PoB had already plunged by 75 percent due to the economic crisis and has reached 15 percent following the blast. Customs have opened offices in the PoB’s warehouse number 14 which was partially damaged. The customs have become able to carry out the inspection of merchandise- Customs duties are being temporarily paid at the Rafic Hariri International Airport. Tthe PoB is now handling only full containers as groupage consignment requires warehouses which don’t exist now. Amer Al Kaissi said groupage, which represents 15 percent of shipments at the PoB, will be diverted to the Port of Tripoli until the rebuilding of warehouses at the PoB is completed. The first two containerships to berth at the PoB after the blast were the 'Electra' (Gezairi Transport) and the 'Nicolas Delmas' (CMA CGM). The 'Electra', which was carrying 400 containers, was diverted to Tripoli where there was a license to operate but the company insisted to unload it in Beirut when it was told that the PoB has resumed operation. The CMA CGM Group and CEVA Logistics said they are fully operational and ensuring business continuity to serve their customers. The Group has redeployed its employees in its two back-up sites in Beirut Digital District and reinforced its presence in Tripoli. Part of CMA CGM’s vessels has been temporarily directed to Tripoli. Few shipping companies are authorized to operate in other ports such as Tripoli or Saida. BCTC, the Customs and the PoB’s authorities did their best to handle the clearing formalities despite the difficult working conditions. The general cargo area was fully operational on Aug 12 both for imports and exports. This includes wheat and other grains as well as construction steel bars. The cost of rebuilding the port is estimated at around $1 billion.

Ships

Citizen groups, including Greenpeace India, along with environmental groups, legal experts and fishermen bodies have called for an urgent and enforceable action by the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) regarding the sinking of the 'MSC Elsa 3'. In a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram on July 28, the citizen groups released a comprehensive white paper outlining the potential ecological and socio-economic impacts of the shipwreck. They demanded that the company be held fully accountable. The MSC company has denied its responsibility and refused to pay I9,531 crore compensation demanded by the state government and they claimed that there was no significant ecological damage from the shipwreck. The document also outlined the severe livelihood disruptions for fisherfolk, and growing concerns over marine biodiversity. The citizens groups demanded that the company support an independent environmental and social impact assessment and roll out a comprehensive compensation package that reflects the magnitude of the damage. The shipwreck has significantly affected over 10 lakh fisherfolk in Kerala, especially in the wake of early monsoon weather restrictions and the 20-nautical-mile fishing ban period following the accident, with serious consequences on daily income, food security, and occupational health.

The RFA 'Argus' is currently stuck at the Portsmouth naval base and was banned from sailing until a number of identified defects have been rectified. The 'Argus' arrived in the Navy’s port on JKune 8, 2025, and cannot sail to Falmouth in Cornwall for repairs because her safety certification has been withdrawn. The vessel failed to meet minimum safety standards following an inspection by the Maritime and Coastguard agency and Lloyd’s surveyors.

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A powerful explosion rocked Beirut port on Aug 4, 2020, killing and injuring dozens of people, and causing widespread damage. There was no clarity yet with regards to the cause of explosions, and what triggered it. The talk was of a firework factory which blew up. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pR88CECmTso&feature=emb_title

The FBI is investigating the death case onboard the 'Carnival Dream', which happened around July 23 in the area of Belize City during a 6-day Western Caribbean voyage. It returned to Galveston, Texas, on July 26. An FBI maritime liaison agent, based out of the Texas City resident agency, was coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, and the cruise line regarding the incident as a standard practice for the FBI to review deaths that occur on cruise ships. The routine protocol ensures transparency. It does not automatically imply suspicious circumstances, and the facts of this matter did not suggest any such activity. The FBI is the primary federal agency authorized to investigate potential crimes on the high seas.

On the early morning of July 29, the 'Salvamar Spica' rescued eight migrants of North African origin, including a woman and three minors, who were sailing on a small boat, which was located 28 nautical miles southeast of Cabo de Gata in the Alboran Sea. The boat was spotted by the crew of the ferry 'Kalliste' (IMO: 9050618), sailing between Nador and Marseille, which notified the CCS of Salvamento Marítimo in Almería. Following the alert, the 'Salvamar Spica' was mobilized and proceeded to rescue the occupants. The migrants were taken on board and disembarked at around 2:23 a.m. in the port of Almería, where they were treated by a humanitarian assistance team. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1950091971160121433

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