marine safety News

UK, EU States to Target Russia’s Shadow Oil Fleet With More Checks

The UK plans to launch a “call to action” this week with a group of European nations to target the so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers that Russia uses to skirt international sanctions, according to people familiar with the matter …

Ships Fleeing the Red Sea Now Face Perilous African Weather

Ships sailing around the southern tip of Africa are wrestling with a bout of bad weather that has already run one vessel aground and seen another lose more than 40 containers overboard. CMA CGM SA said on Thursday that its …

Houthis Escalate Red Sea Danger With Explosive Drone Attacks

Yemen’s Houthis are sending drone boats packed with explosives into the Red Sea as they intensify their attacks on merchant ships that have little defense against the “sophisticated shift” in tactic, maritime security sources say. Iran-aligned Houthi militants first launched …

After Oil, Russia May Be Building a Shadow Fleet for Gas

In the months that followed its invasion of Ukraine and punitive Western restrictions imposed in response, Russia amassed a shadow fleet to ferry its oil around the world. Now there is growing evidence Moscow has begun to do the same …

Sanctions Damaging Safety at Sea, Says Sanctioned Ship Group Sovcomflot

Sanctions on shipping companies are undermining safety at sea and pose dangers for trade as ship standards are impacted, the chief executive of sanctioned Russian shipping group Sovcomflot said. The European Union imposed sanctions on Russia’s state-owned and top tanker …

Drone-Sinking of Coal Ship Boosts Red Sea Perils, Drives Surge in Insurance Costs

The sinking of a coal-carrier by a sea drone has boosted the risk of navigating the vital Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint to a new level and is driving a fresh surge in insurance costs. The British navy said Tuesday that the …

Russian Oil Tanker Does Secret Cargo Switch Near Singapore to Dodge US Sanctions

The first Russian oil tanker attempting to deliver crude while under US sanctions made a secret cargo transfer onto another ship, a sign of the lengths to which Moscow is going to undermine the effectiveness of American restrictions on its …

Safety Dangers From Sanctioned Tanker Fleet Growing, Ship Manager Says

Safety dangers are growing from aging and unregulated vessels, leading ship management firm V.Group told Reuters, adding it had stopped providing services to 30 tankers last year after they were sold to companies that did not pass compliance checks. Up …

Sanctioned Oil Tankers Pose Rising Environmental Risk in Mediterranean, Greece Says

Unregulated tankers sidestepping Western sanctions are posing a bigger risk to the Mediterranean region and Greece is undertaking more protective measures to safeguard its coast, the country’s shipping minister told Reuters on Tuesday. Up to 850 oil tankers are estimated …

Russian Oil Finds New Site for Controversial Cargo Switching

Under pressure from Greece’s navy, traders of Russian oil have found a new place to switch cargoes of crude in the Mediterranean sea, a sign of how hard it will be to clamp down on an activity that has alarmed …