The'Crown Iris' bringing stranded Israelis back from Cyprus, in coordination with the Transportation Ministry, has arrived in Asdod on the morning of June 20. Some 2,000 passengers were on the ship for its voyage from Limassol ito southern Israel, The Transportation Minister Miri Regev, alongside Transportation Ministry director general Moshe Ben Zaken, Ashdod port chairman Shaul Schneider, and other officials, welcomed the returnees upon their arrival at the port. About 50 buses and minibuses were waiting at the port to take arriving passengers free of charge to the Ashdod train station, and to Beersheba, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem. The repatriation operations were ongoing, subject to the approval of defense officials to maintain the safety of passengers. Reports with photo and video: https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/first-cruise-ship-carrying-stranded-israelis-back-from-cyprus-docks-in-ashdod/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/410356
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SHTANDART
The 'Shtandart' has been banned from entering ports in the French department of Ille-et-Vilaine, including the largest port, Saint-Malo, but some other regions are still ignoring the relevant EU sanctions. The No Shtandart In Europe group has assured that the 'Shtandart' is not welcome here and will not enter the port of Saint-Malo or any other port in the department. The prefecture stated that it respects the sanctions imposed by the EU and will comply with its own decree issued in 2024. Activists from the group had sent a letter to the prefect for informational purposes so that he could ensure compliance with the European ban in all ports of the department. A similar appeal was previously addressed to the prefecture of Charente-Maritime, as the Russian sailing ship was heading for the port of La Rochelle. However, the appeal was ignored there, and the ship was even able to take part in the naval parade. Earlier, the 'Shtandart', which replaced the Russian tricolor with the flags of Cook Island, published its summer sailing plan. Among the next stops, besides France, are moorings in Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, and Denmark. For more than three years, pro-Ukrainian civil society activists in France have been trying to force the 'Shtandart, which is under EU sanctions, to leave the country permanently.
ROYAL ROMANCE
The 'Royal Romance', which has been seized in Split in 2022, is set to be temporarily relocated to the port of Trogir for mandatory technical maintenance, according to an announcement by Ukraine’s National Asset Recovery and Management Agency (ARMA on June 16, 2025). The agency confirmed that the transfer will take place under the escort of both a police vessel and a private maritime security firm. Following theinspection, the yacht will be returned to its current berth at the Croatian naval base in Split. The ARMA emphasised that the vessel remains under arrest and in the joint custody of Ukrainian and Croatian authorities. Once the 'Royal Romance' is back in Split, the agency stated it intends to approach the Prosecutor General’s Office to revive efforts to sell the asset under Ukrainian law.
SUAT KARABEKIR
The "Suat Karabekir" was detained on June 14, 2025, in Karadeniz Eregli with 19 deficiencies, 15 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Log-books/compulsory entries Entries missing 2) Certificate & Doc - Cargo Ship Safety equipment Not as required 3) Certificate & Doc - Other (Certificates) Other 4) Fire safety - Other (Fire safety) Other 5) Living and working - Lighting (working spaces) Not as required 6) Living and working - Ventilation (Accommodation) Not as required 7) Living and working - Sanitary facilities Not as required 8)) Living and working - Electrical Unsafe 9) Living and working - Other (Machinery) Other 10) Living and working - Other (Working space ILO) Other 11) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Machinery Not as required 12) Radio communications - Operation of GMDSS equipment Not as required 13) Safety og navigation - Nautical publications Not updated 14) Life saving Appliances - Rescue boats Not properly maintained 15) Life saving Appliances - Other (Life saving) Other The vessel was released again on June 18 and left the port enroute to Constanta, whiere it arrived on June 19. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591
SPIRIT OF TASMANIA 4
On the morning of June 19, the 'Spirit of Tasmania IV' left the Leith docks in Edinburgh. In Dec 2024 it was reported how the ship was set to be berthed in Edinburgh until next year, after it was discovered to be too big for its intended ports. The operator TT-Line confirmed it had been engaging with a broker to lease the ferry, although an agreement was not reached. The Tasmanian government then ordered the operator to relocate the ship. The situation sparked a political row in Australia after it was feared a new berth to accommodate the shop, and it's sister vessel 'Spirit of Tasmania V', may not be ready until late 2026 or 2027. Tasmania's infrastructure minister, Michael Ferguson, and the chairman of ferry operator TT-Line, which is state-owned, resigned due to the controversy in Aug 2024. TT-Line was paying A$47,534 (£24,031) per week to berth the ship at Forth Ports.