Ukraine Claims Attack on Russian Frigate Admiral Essen
Ukraine’s drone forces say they struck the Russian frigate Admiral Essen docked in Novorossiysk, a vessel already damaged earlier in the war. The same raid targeted a rare Project 1239 Bora‑class missile corvette, one of only two in service. Ukrainian drones also ignited an oil storage tank farm and damaged the Sheskharis marine terminal, while claiming damage to the sanctioned shadow‑fleet tanker Chrysalis near the Bosporus. Video evidence was inconclusive, and the extent of damage remains unverified.
U.S. Coast Guard Commissions 62nd Fast Response Cutter Honoring 9/11 Hero
The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned its 62nd Sentinel‑class Fast Response Cutter, USCGC Vincent Danz (WPC 1162), in a ceremony in New York City. The cutter, named for 9/11 hero and Coast Guard reservist Vincent Danz, will be home‑ported in Guam and tasked...
Singapore Issues First Authorization for Ammonia Bunkering Trials
Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority has issued the first authorization for ship‑to‑ship ammonia bunkering trials, developed by Itochu subsidiaries. The approval, effective May 15 2026 for up to two years, clears the way for a 5,000 cbm ammonia bunker vessel slated for delivery...
Presidential Message on National Maritime Day
President Joe Biden marked National Maritime Day by honoring the U.S. Merchant Marine’s 250‑year legacy and pledging to restore America’s maritime dominance. He referenced the historic role of merchant mariners from the Revolutionary War through World War II and emphasized their...
NATO Monitors Russian Surveillance Ship Loitering Near NATO Exercise
Dynamic Mongoose 2026, NATO’s most demanding maritime exercise, began on May 18 off Norway and runs through May 26, involving warships, submarines and aircraft from nine allies. NATO spotted the Russian intelligence‑collection vessel Yuri Ivanov, a 4,000‑ton, 95‑meter ship, loitering near the fleet. The...
Dali Civil Trial to Begin June 1 After Judge Denies Motion to Delay
A U.S. District Court judge denied Grace Ocean and Synergy Marine's request to postpone the civil liabilities trial over the Dali containership, setting the start date for June 1. The companies argued that recent criminal indictments and reluctant witnesses warranted a...
Nigerian Ports Blocked by Collision Between Maersk Feeder and Small Tanker
A Maersk feeder containership, the 23,359‑dwt Maersk Valparaiso, ran aground after colliding with the small tanker Lady Martina in Nigeria’s Bonny Channel. The incident has blocked access to both Port Harcourt and Onne’s West Africa Container Terminal, halting vessel movements. Five crew...
Med-Mooring Dispute Interrupts Cargo Deliveries to U.S. Virgin Islands
The U.S. Coast Guard barred the small cargo vessels Water Spirit 2 and Admiral Pride from med‑mooring at San Juan’s Pier 10, citing navigation safety concerns. The ban, effective April 30, carries potential civil fines of up to $120,000 per day for non‑compliance. The...
Two Container Feeders Collide in East Kalimantan
Two Indonesian container feeders, Meratus Kolaka and Spil Ratna, collided on the Mahakam River in East Kalimantan on May 13. The vessels, each about 8,000 dwt, suffered hull damage above the waterline, and eight containers fell overboard. No injuries, spills, or pollution were reported....
Helm Operations Receives U.S. Coast Guard Recognition for Digital Logbook
Helm Operations announced that its Helm CONNECT Logbook has earned official recognition from the U.S. Coast Guard, confirming the solution meets federal record‑keeping standards for commercial vessels. The digital logbook offers a fully compliant alternative to traditional paper logs, enabling real‑time data...
Research Partnership to Quantify Efficacy Maritime Training Immersive Tech
A nine‑month research partnership led by the University of Plymouth, Odesa National Maritime University and Kilo Solutions will evaluate immersive VR training for maritime bridge teams using Kilo’s VASCO simulator. The project creates a rubric‑based assessment framework to measure decision‑making,...
Polish Shipping Association Joins the International Chamber of Shipping
Polish Shipping Association (PSA) has joined the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) as a full member, gaining seats on the board and committees. The PSA represents Poland’s shipowners and contributes roughly $3.8 billion in gross value added to the Polish economy....
French Carrier Charles De Gaulle Safely Transits Strait of Bab El Mandeb
The French Navy’s nuclear carrier Charles de Gaulle safely navigated the Bab el‑Mandeb Strait and is now anchored at Djibouti’s naval base. The transit, accompanied by a replenishment oiler, an anti‑submarine destroyer and likely additional warships, passed without comment from...
Report: Vessel Captured Off Fujairah Is a Floating Armory
Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech confirmed that the vessel seized 38 nm northeast of Fujairah was the Honduran‑flagged fishing support ship Hui Chuan, operating as a floating armory in the Gulf of Oman. Unauthorized boarders boarded the anchored vessel and steered it into...
China Fines MSC, CMA CGM, and Hapag, and Warns on Freight Rate Violations
China’s Ministry of Transport announced fines against nine international container shipping lines—including MSC, CMA CGM, and Hapag‑Lloyd—and seven domestic NVOCCs for violating freight‑rate filing rules. The penalties follow inspections at Guangzhou, Qingdao and Ningbo ports conducted in August, September and November...
Ukraine Strikes Black Sea Oil Terminals as Russia Unleashes Drone Barrage
Ukraine’s special forces struck the Tamanneftegaz terminal on the Kerch Strait, damaging storage, transshipment and export capabilities. In response, Russia launched a record‑size drone and decoy barrage, deploying 1,428 unmanned systems over a 24‑hour period – the largest sustained attack...
US Moves to Further Increase Economic Pressure on Iranian Oil Trade
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control added 12 individuals and entities to its sanctions list on May 11, targeting front companies that facilitate IRGC oil sales to China. The measures also froze roughly $500 million in cryptocurrency linked to the...
Canada to Discontinue Construction of Nanisivik Arctic Naval Facility
Canada has halted construction of the Nanisivik Arctic naval refueling station after cost overruns and technical setbacks made the project untenable. Ottawa has already spent roughly $70 million CAD (about $51 million USD) and faces remediation expenses estimated at $180 million CAD (≈$130 million...
Podcast: Port Everglades CEO Joseph Morris on Seatrade Cruise and IPW 2026
Port Everglades CEO Joseph Morris highlighted a 60% rise in cruise passengers over four years, cementing the port as Florida’s third‑largest cruise hub. He discussed the port’s balanced growth strategy across cargo, energy, and passenger services. Morris also previewed the...
Report Speculates US or NATO Sank Russian Ship Carrying Nuclear Equipment
A CNN report, citing a leaked Spanish investigation, alleges that the Russian‑owned heavy‑lift vessel Ursa Major was likely sunk by a high‑speed torpedo, possibly a U.S. or NATO Barracuda, after it was found carrying components for two submarine‑type nuclear reactors. The...
Shipping Companies Leverage Arabian Peninsula Truck Routes to Bypass Hormuz
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has forced shippers to reroute cargo through the newly opened Route 95, linking Saudi Arabia’s Alkwifiriah to Oman via the Ramlet Khelah border crossing. Trade value at the crossing surged to $830 million in March, a...
How Port Everglades Is Meeting the Travel Momentum Moment
Port Everglades and its tourism partner Visit Lauderdale took center stage at two marquee events—Seatrade Cruise Global in April and the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW in May—showcasing the port’s evolution from the world’s third‑busiest cruise homeport to a fully integrated...
China Names Largest Methanol Dual-Fuel Boxship Expanding Green Shipping
Chinese shipbuilder COSCO Shipping christened OOCL Wisdom, the world’s largest methanol‑dual‑fuel containership at 24,168 TEU and 225,000 dwt. The vessel is the first of a 12‑ship order valued at just under $2.9 billion, slated for delivery through 2028. Equipped with dual‑fuel engines,...
Iranian Shadow Fleet Tanker Ablaze Off Jask
Satellite imagery on May 9 shows the sanctioned Iranian tanker Sevda ablaze but still afloat 11.5 nm southeast of Bandar‑e Jask, near a newly opened Iranian naval base. A nearby 312‑meter VLCC also appears to be leaking and emitting smoke, while two additional...
U.S. Navy Remains Poised in the Arabian Sea
New Sentinel‑2 satellite images from May 6‑7 give analysts a clear view of the U.S. Navy’s maritime posture in the Arabian Sea. The data show a carrier‑centered blockade line east of Ras Al Hadd, with two Arleigh Burke destroyers making short transits through...
Op-Ed: China's Gray Zone Fleet Is Undermining Taiwan's Control at Sea
China’s grey‑zone fleet—civilian, coast‑guard and maritime‑militia vessels—has intensified around Taiwan in 2025, moving from episodic spikes to a steady tempo of pressure. Swarms of fishing boats, sand dredgers and China Coast Guard ships are used to harass patrols, board near...
Executive Interview: Alexander Gumbs, CEO, Port St. Maarten Group
Alexander Gumbs, a native of St. Maarten, has led the Port St. Maarten Group as CEO since August 2021, overseeing a port that welcomes more than 1.5 million cruise passengers each year and ranks among the Caribbean’s busiest. The state‑owned, privately managed enterprise operates...
Iran Diverts and Seizes a Tanker Linked to Its Own Oil Industry
Iran announced the seizure of the tanker IMO 9255933, currently sailing as the Jin Li, a vessel long linked to Iran’s heavy fuel oil and condensate exports. The ship, part of Iran’s shadow fleet since 2020, was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury...
Burundi’s Main Port Struggles to Recover From Flooding
Burundi is rebuilding its main port on Lake Tanganyika after floods in late 2023‑early 2024 devastated the facility. The Port of Bujumbura handles over 80% of the country’s trade and was designed for 500,000 tonnes of cargo. Flood damage caused $210 million in losses and...
Journey of DRAfter 2400: Med Marine Adds Powerful Touch To Sekavin's Fleet
MED Marine has delivered the DRAfter 2400 conventional tugboat to Greek operator SEKAVIN, completing the handover on 14 April after construction at EREGLI Shipyard. The 24‑metre vessel provides a 40‑tonne bollard pull, 10‑knot speed, and a crew capacity of six, enhancing SEKAVIN’s...
Pretrial Hearing Sets the Stage for Dali Trial to Begin June 1
More than two years after the *Dali* container ship collapsed Baltimore’s Key Bridge, a bench trial is slated to start on June 1 and run for 18 days. Judge James K. Bredar will first rule on the owners’ attempt to invoke...
Somali Pirate Group Abandons Dhow Citing Increased Security Warnings
A Somali pirate cell that seized the Emirati dhow Fahad‑4 abandoned the vessel on May 4 after running low on supplies and facing intensified warnings from maritime security agencies MSCIO and Atalanta. The group had used the dhow as a mothership...
Amidst Ceasefire, U.S. and Iran Trade Strikes in Strait of Hormuz
The United States carried out kinetic strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island and the port of Bandar Abbas while a ceasefire remains in effect. Washington says the attacks do not breach the ceasefire, likening them to recent Iranian strikes on ships...
Falling Freight Rates Drive Maersk to Q1 Loss in Shipping Segment
Maersk’s ocean‑shipping division recorded a $192 million EBIT loss in Q1 as freight rates fell 14% while volumes rose over 9%. The loss was driven primarily by a two‑thirds jump in bunker fuel costs, adding roughly $500 million each month. Despite the...
The Russian Navy Is Reestablishing Its Mediterranean Base in Syria
Russia is re‑establishing a permanent naval foothold in Syria’s Tartus port after months of only occasional visits. The Steregushchiy‑class corvette RFS Stoykiy has been docked in Tartus since April, signaling a shift from transient port calls to a sustained presence....
Mystery Deepens Over Explosion and Fire on HMM Vessel as Iran Denies Attack
A 38,314‑dwt general cargo vessel, HMM Namu, suffered a powerful engine‑room explosion and fire while anchored off Umm Al Quwain in the UAE. The blast left the ship disabled but the 24 crew members were rescued unharmed. Initial reports blamed...
Kongsberg Maritime to Supply Integrated Technology Package for Svitzer
Kongsberg Maritime has won a contract from Cochin Shipyard to supply a fully integrated equipment and technology package for Svitzer’s next‑generation full‑electric transverse tugs. The deal covers four vessels, with options for four more, and includes DC/AC switchboards, permanent‑magnet propulsion...
Rheinmetall and MSC in Negotiations to Buy Romania’s Mangalia Shipyard
German defense contractor Rheinmetall and shipping giant MSC are negotiating to acquire a majority stake in Romania’s bankrupt Mangalia shipyard, while the Romanian government will keep a minority share and provide the land and assets. The yard, valued by the...
Jeff Bezos Is Reported to Be Selling the World's Largest Sailing Yacht
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is putting his $500 million, 417‑foot sailing megayacht Koru on the market. The vessel, built by Oceanco, is famed for its three‑masted silhouette and a gold‑trimmed wooden bust of his wife Lauren Sanchez Bezos on the prow. Koru is...
Iran Launches "Persian Gulf Strait Authority" To Administer Hormuz Tolls
Iran has established the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) as a single‑window entity to manage tolls for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Shipowners will receive official communications from info@PGSA.ir to align procedures and obtain transit authorizations from the Islamic...
IACS Finds Common Failure Modes in Emergency Generator Systems
Investigators of the MV Dali bridge collapse noted a delayed start‑up of the ship’s emergency generator, underscoring the critical role of automated power backup. The International Association of Class Societies (IACS) inspected roughly 37,000 vessels and found that about 2 percent (≈850...
Maersk Boxship Collides With Container Feeder at Chattogram
A Maersk 2,700‑TEU boxship, Maersk Chattogram, collided with the former fleetmate HR Turag near the outer anchorage of Chattogram on Friday at about 09:30. The impact left a large gash in the starboard quarter of the Maersk vessel but left its engine...
Prosecutors' Report Faults Bayesian's Crew for Sinking
The luxury superyacht Bayesian capsized off Sicily on August 19, 2024, killing tech billionaire Mike Lynch, his teenage daughter, and six others. Italian prosecutors commissioned a report that blames crew error—specifically underestimating a squall and failing to activate safety devices—contrasting with the...
RINA Expands Its Singapore Open Innovation Hub with the Support of EDB
RINA, the global classification and engineering firm, is expanding its Singapore Open Innovation Hub with support from the Singapore Economic Development Board. The hub will focus on digital twin technology, decarbonisation solutions, and AI‑enabled workforce training for maritime and energy...
IRClass Academy Holds Port Facility Security Officer Training in Mauritius
IRClass Academy, the training arm of the Indian Register of Shipping, delivered a three‑day Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) programme in Mauritius to support the Mauritius Port Authority’s security standards at Port Louis Harbour. The course incorporated practical, hands‑on workshops...
BASS Wins BW LNG Contract for BASSnet Neo Cloud-Native Solution
BASS Software has secured a contract with BW LNG to deploy its BASSnet Neo cloud‑native maritime ERP across the operator’s LNG carriers and FSRUs. After a global review of up to 30 solutions, BW LNG selected BASSnet Neo for its maintenance, inventory, procurement and...
IRGC Threatens Ships at Anchor Off Musandam Peninsula
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy issued a repeated “serious warning” on Channel 16, ordering vessels anchored in Oman's Musandam port of Khasab to return to the Dubai anchorage. The directive also covered ships in nearby Omani ports of Mina Saqr...
Austal USA Starts Construction on Fifth Navy Landing Craft Utility Vessel
Austal USA kicked off construction of LCU 1714, the fifth Landing Craft Utility vessel for the U.S. Navy, at its Mobile, Alabama shipyard on April 27, 2026. The start follows a September 2023 award of a $91.5 million contract to design and build up to...
Bulker Attacked by Small Craft in the Strait of Hormuz
A Greek‑owned bulk carrier, the Minoan Falcon, was attacked by small craft while transiting northbound in the Strait of Hormuz near Sirik, Iran. The vessel entered Iran’s 12‑mile territorial sea, reversed course and later disabled its AIS transponder. Simultaneously, Iran’s Revolutionary...
China’s Production Capacity for Green Fuels Reaches Eight Million Tons
China’s National Energy Administration reported that green‑fuel production capacity now totals about 8 million tons of oil‑equivalent per year, up from traditional ethanol and biodiesel to include green ammonia and methanol. Green hydrogen capacity has surpassed 1.1 million tons, with 250,000 tons already...