On April 19 a person needed to be medevaced from the 'Color Magic', which was en route from Oslo to Kiel in Danish waters. At 06.33 a.m. the patient was hoisted from the ferry by a helicopter of the Danish Defence and transported to shore for further medical treatment.
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SUN PRINCESS
On April 19 the medical evacuation of a crew member of the 'Sun Princess', en route from Gibraltar to Cartagena, was carried out due to trauma off Vera. The CCS Cartagena of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 215, which hoisted the victim and took him to the Cartagena cruise ship dock, where an ambulance was waiting for further transfer to the Santa Lucía Hospital.
NIEUW STATENDAM
About 50 activists from Extinction Rebellion (XR) protested against cruise tourism in Rotterdam on the morning of April 21, 2024. They tried to prevent the docking of the 'Nieuw Statendam' in Rotterdam and delayed the docking for a few minutes. The ship was then able to reach its berth at Cruise Port Rotterdam at 5.50 a.m. UTC. It left the port at 7.30 p.m. en route to Funchal.
SPARTA IV
The Russian army is building a new logistics chain for its own troops in Syria. The “Sparta IV” left Baltiysk on April 18, 2024, with high-quality military equipment on board. The ship was being escorted by the Russian Navy. The Russian army's supply service was launched when support for the regime in Damascus began in 2015. Until 2023, the supply ships with military equipment for Syria mostly sailed from the Black Sea to Tartus. Russia maintains the only naval base in the Mediterranean there. The Russian units stationed in Tartus are now being supplied with from the Baltic Sea. It is currently the safest route as there is no threat of attacks from Ukraine there. The route from the Baltic Sea to Tartus is, however, around 4,500 nautical miles long, which is is significantly longer than from the bases in the Black Sea. From Novorossiysk on the Black Sea to Tartus through the Bosphorus would be just 1,200 nautical miles. The “Sparta IV” has been sailing for the Russian military since 2021, transporting containers, general cargo and also heavy cargo. The Russian military supplies are then transported from Tartus. Two Russian naval ships have just brought military equipment from Tartus to Libya. The “Sparta IV” has already made trips with equipment for the Russian military from its home port of Novorossiysk to Tartus in 2022 and 2023. During this time, the vessel narrowly escaped an attack by Ukrainian drones in the Black Sea. This threat was probably also the reason why the ship is now being escorted by the Russian Navy on the Baltic Sea. On April 19 , the “Sparta IV” passed the Fehmarnbelt and the Great Belt. The frigate “Neustrashimiy” of the Baltic Fleet served as an escort, accompanying the freighter towards the Mediterranean. The federal police shadowed the Russian convoy with the “Neustadt”. Denmark pursued the course through the waters of the Great Belt and the Kattegat with a frigate and two patrol boats. The ship has been blocked from passing through the Kiel Canal since Feb 24, 2022, the start of the Russian war. The sanctions against Russian shipping companies on behalf of the state prohibit the passage through German waters. At the beginning of the war, Russia also had the landing ships “Minsk” and “Kaliningrad” from the Baltic Fleet in use on the route. They also commuted to Tartus from Kaliningrad and Sevastopol. The “Minsk” was severely damaged by Ukrainian cruise missiles at the Sevastopol naval base on Sep 13, 2023, during an overhaul in dock and is no longer operational. The “Kaliningrad” is currently still in operation in the Black Sea. However, she is not allowed to leave the Black Sea because Turkey has banned the passage of the Bosphorus under the rules of the Treaty of Montreaux.
MT SAISNIL II
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was investigating 11 suspected oil thieves along with the Saisnil II', which was arrested by the Nigerian Navy, on April 202, 2024. The suspects and vessel were handed over to the Commission by the Nigerian Navy, NNS Beecroft, Apapa, Lagos. The vessel and the crew were intercepted and arrested on Feb 7 by naval officers. The suspects were allegedly involved in illegal oil bunkering and AIS infractions at the Abo Oilfield, Ogogoro Community, Ondo State. The suspects were to be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded by Commission’s operatives in its Lagos Command.