Category: Security policy

Attack on yacht off Yemen

ATALANTA: Continued need for maritime security Armed men attacked the sailing yacht Lakota off the Yemeni coast on 19 May and attempted to board it. The ship remains unmolested and safe. However, the incident makes it clear that pirates and militant forces in the region continue to pose a potential threat. According to Operation Atalanta of the European Union Naval Force (EU Navfor), the sailing trimaran "Lakota" was south-east of the Yemeni port of Hodeidah in the southern Red Sea near the strategically important Bab-el-Mandeb Strait when three boats with five people on board, flying the flag of...

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Greece becomes a hub for Russian oil

Increasing transshipment of Russian fuel oil off the Greek coast leads to record levels. Sanctions against Moscow are prompting traders to find new ways to export Russian oil via ship-to-ship (STS) cargoes, according to data from Refinitiv Eikon and sources. Trade in Russian crude oil and oil products remains legal for now as the European Union has yet to fully agree on a proposed embargo, but banking and other financial sanctions against Russia following its invasion of Ukraine on 24 February are making this trade increasingly difficult. In April, almost 0.9 million tonnes of Russian heating oil were delivered to Greece, about double...

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Chinese submarine newbuild recognised

This section of a satellite image from Planet Labs shows a Chinese shipyard in Huludao in the northern province of Liaoning - and a submarine in its dock. However, the size and top view do not quite correspond to the types known to date. As two green areas are also visible aft of the tower and cross-shaped control surfaces with a casing can be seen at the stern, experts suspect that this is the prototype of a submarine class equipped with vertical launchers (VLS) and pump-jet propulsion. Chinese plans China has been pursuing the goal of being able to launch land and sea-based cruise missiles from submerged boats (long-range offensive strike capability) for some time. Should the two greenish...

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Russians export oil in large quantities

Losses for Russia, but not massive Russia's seaborne crude oil exports from its western ports to Asian countries, especially India and China, rose again to more than 1 million barrels per day and could rise further. However, overall crude oil shipments remained virtually unchanged until 13 May as European Union countries continue to argue over a planned ban on Russian oil imports following the country's invasion of Ukraine. A total of 35 tankers loaded about 24.9 million barrels from Russian export terminals, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and reports from port agents. This put the...

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Croatia offers Adriatic ports for the transport of Ukrainian grain

The European Commission introduced the so-called "solidarity routes" at the beginning of May to improve connections between the EU and Ukraine for grain exports, while Ukrainian ports remain blocked due to the Russian invasion. Croatia's Adriatic ports could provide an alternative route for the transport of grain from Ukraine, Jutarnji List reported, citing the State Secretary of the Croatian Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs. Following his participation in the General Affairs Council of EU27 ministers in Brussels on 23 May, Andreja Metelko Zgombić said: "During the debate, I pointed out that Croatia's Adriatic ports are available and could offer an alternative route for...

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