News

The 'Antonia S', which had been struck by Russian drones in Chornomorsk on Aug 19 and had suffered severe damages in the accomodation area, the bridge and around the funnel, was towed through the Bosphorus for repairs on Oct 28 by the tugs 'Kurtarma 9' (IMO: 9598581), 'Kurtarma 10' (IMO: 9598593) and 'Kurtarma 12' (IMO: 9854404) of the General Directorate of Coastal Safety. During the passage, ship traffic in the Strait was suspended in both directions. Reports with photos: https://www.habererk.com/foto/dron-saldirisina-ugrayan-antonia-s-bogaz-dan-gecti_358498/ https://www.birgun.net/haber/dron-saldirisina-ugrayan-geminin-gecisi-nedeniyle-istanbul-bogazi-trafigi-durduruldu-743158

The 'High Roller III' was pulled off the breakwater on Oct 20 at about 7 p.m. The successful attempt followed an earlier one that failed, a little after 6:30 p.m. In that case, the established tow line snapped, with the ship remaining stubbornly aground. During the day, specialised divers and the Coast Guard had been present, and two large airbags were attached to the bow. Pumps were draining the water off the vessel during the day. No spills of oil or hydraulic fluids were reported. While the ship was towed towards Bay de Verde, the bow was rapidly sinking deeper, but it remained firmly fixed to the tug 'Dalton Warrior' with its stern, while it was moved into the port. On Oct 21, it remained attached to the tug, down by the bow down, was surrounded by an oil boom. There was no sufficient lifting capacity in the port. Crews went onboard on the afternoon and started removing gear, such as the new Mustad autoline system that was recently installed, parts and bridge electronics, and even a PlayStation. Divers have also been in the water. Work was ongoing on the morning of Oct 22, with crews removing fishing gear and electrical equipment from the vessel. On Oct 24 crews continued removing everything from the vessel that was salvageable before it heads for scrap. On Oct 25, the 'Dalton Warrior' towed the 'High Roller lll' from the dock in Bay de Verde to the area cleared across the harbour for the dismantling of the vessel. The trawler reached its final resting place at 7.40 p.m., and on Oct 26, dredgers commenced tearing the wreck apart and first removed the wheelhouse, which was dropped off on the shore. On Oct 28 she was finally disposed of with nothing remaining in the water. Reports with photos: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/high-roller-iii-update-9.7388255 https://www.saltwire.com/nova-scotia/tri-county-vangaurd/crew-rescued-in-n-l-waters-from-southwest-n-s-fishing-boat-vessel-being-scrapped

The bulk carrier 'Jincheng' (IMO: 9878838) was targeted by a Russian drone at the port of Chornomorsk on Oct 3, 2026. The accomodation block and bridge suffered severe damages. A fire broke out, but could be extinguished. One sailor died, and three other crew members were injured and had to be hospitalised. The sailor who was killed was an engineer in the engine compartment. 13 other crew members were evacuated from the vessel. Also the 'Antonia S', that had been docked at the port for about a month, was subjected to three Russian drone attacks targeting its hull. No injuries were reported among the crew of the bulk carrier, and rescue teams were able to quickly extinguish a fire on board of this ship too. "This is yet another deliberate attack by Russia on civilian shipping. Russia continues to terroris the peaceful merchant fleet and sailors who risk their lives every day to ensure the operation of Ukrainian maritime routes", said the Sea Ports Authority. The attack came amid an international call for Russia to halt attacks on civilian ships in the Black Sea and allow the passage of grain exports.

A court has lifted a stay on a state-appointed committee of government officers, permitting negotiations to resume with the MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company, as the court continued to consider both an admiralty suit filed by the state as well as multiple claims for compensation and loss due to the sinking of the ' MSC Elsa 3'. The Kerala High Court had placed a curb on any negotiations with MSC and its insurance companies in June 2025, requiring the state to file an admiralty suit. The company has filed, seeking to limit its liability, and has argued the state’s claims are inflated. The company has sought to limit its liability to approximately $14.8 million while the Kerala State Government filed a $1.1 billion admiralty claim. The company posted a bond of approximately $133 million at the court’s direction. The court on Oct 27 directed the committee to resume negotiations for compensation. It would cover the remedial work, economic losses, and damage to the environment and the fishing community. The purpose of the committee was to resolve the case without undue delay. The state had no objection to resuming the negotiations, but the committee is not empowered to conclude a final settlement or binding agreement. Details still had to be submitted to the court. The authorities have suggested to the court that the remaining containers might have to be removed from the wreck. Lawyers for MSC argued in court that 437 tonnes of fuel and contaminants had already been pumped from the vessel and that attempting to lift the waterlogged containers could cause them to break and release further potential contamination. They have been discussing a proposal for a multibeam survey of the wreck. MSC had proposed that the scope of the survey should be jointly formulated by the stakeholders. The court permitted India’s Directorate of Shipping to proceed with meetings that took place on Oct 17 and 20, selecting a company, C-Trck Surveys, to conduct the environmental assessment of the wreck. The court gave the Kerala State Pollution Control Board one week to submit its suggestions for the survey. The survey was to be undertaken at the cost of the vessel owner. The court scheduled the next hearing regarding the 'MSC Elsa 3' for Nov 24.

The 'Alisuvar Mammadov', enroute to Varna, suffered a main engine malfunction, while transiting the Bosphorus in the Istanbul region on Oct 28, and was forced to anchor off Kanlıca, on Istanbul’s Asian side. Coast Guard boats and tugs operated by Türkiye’s Directorate General of Coastal Safety were dispatched to the scene. Ship traffic through the Bosphorus was suspended in both directions while the technical issue was being addressed, temporarily disrupting the passage through the waterway. After repairs were completed, the ship resumed its journey with tug escort and was safely anchored in pos. 41° 16' N 029° 04' E. The authorities subsequently restored traffic through the strait in the south-to-north direction. Report with photos: https://www.trthaber.com/haber/turkiye/ekipler-mantar-ararken-mahsur-kalan-yasli-cift-icin-seferber-oldu-961554.html