News

The 'Hellas Aphrodite' was freed on the afternoon of November 7, more than 24 hours after the vessel was boarded by pirates off the coast of Somalia. The 24 crew members were safe, having been able to remain in the vessel’s citadel. The Spanish frigate ESPS 'Victoria' was standing by the tanker as it prepared to get back underway. The vessel was boarded on Nov 6, while approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl. The master reported small arms fire and that the pirates had launched RPGs toward the tanker, which is loaded with gasoline, before boarding. The crew, which consisted of a master from Montenegro, Greeks, and Filipinos, was able to secure itself in the citadel, where they remained.  The EU forces monitoring the region deployed the 'Victoria', which was on patrol in the area, to the scene.  After an early show of force, the Pirate Action Group abandoned the tanker. The 'Victoria' was engaging its helicopter, uncrewed aerial vehicle, reconnaissance aircraft, and its Special Operations team.  Atalanta coordinated a combined effort that involved the authorities in the Putland region in Somalia, where the pirates wrre likely from, as well as a Japanese P3C aircraft, a Seychelles maritime reconnaissance patrol aircraft, and the Spanish Joint Operations Command. Atalanta remained in contact with the crew during the incident and was in contact with the vessel’s flag state and owner as the incident unfolded.

The 'Power Globe', en route from Bahia Blanca to Tianjin, was boarded by two perpetrators, armed with knives, in pos. 1° 4.5' N 103° 35.7' E while being underway in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait on Oct 16, 2025, at 3.40 a.m. While the crew was not injured, some engine spare parts were stolen from the ship.

The 'Hellas Aphrodite', en route from Sikka, where it had sailed on Nov 1, to Durban with an ETA as of Nov 13, 2025, was attacked and has been boarded by armed pirates in the Indian Ocean on the morning of Nov 6, approximately 549 nautical miles east-southeast of Hobyo, which had been regarded as being far beyond the traditional high-risk area off Somalia. The tanker first came under fire with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades from a skiff launched from a suspected Iranian-flagged mothership, identified as the the dhow 'Issamohahmdi', before the pirates boarded the ship, which did not have an armed security team onboard. The tanker had a crew of 24, all of whom locked themselves into the ship’s citadel for safety during the attack and radioed for help. After the successful boarding, the 'Hellas Aphrodite' altered its course and speed at 06:44 a.m. UTC, in a position about 546 nautical miles off the coast Somalia. Another nearby tanker diverted away from the area following the attack. The 'Issamohahmdi' has been hijacked recently and has since been linked to three prior incidents off the Somali coast. The dhow’s AIS last transmitted about 560 nautical miles offshore. The EU NAVFOR Atalanta operation has already raised the regional threat level, warning that a pirate action group (PAG) — likely operating from the hijacked dhow — remains active in the central Indian Ocean. Private security firms have urged merchant vessels to maintain heightened vigilance and strictly follow BMP5 protection measures, warning of a realistic possibility of further suspicious approaches in the coming days. One of the frigates participating in the EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta was on patrol close to the incident. The vessel was closing the distance and ready to take appropriate actions. The pirates have since disembarked. A part of the ship reportedly caught fire for a short time. The ship's Greek management company, Latsco Marine Management, reported that all crew members were unharmed, and that no one was missing. It was yet unclear how the hijacking ended.

The Department of Migrant Workers has suspended the license of the manning agency and principal of the Filipino crew members of the 'Eternitiy C'. When the ship was sunk by the Houthi terrorists off the coast of Yemen, 17 out of 21Filipino seafarers remained unaccounted for. Under a DMW Department Order 1 issued in March 2024, shipowners and manning agencies wer mandated to report planned passages through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and ensure Filipino crew members were fully informed of the risks involved. Filipino seafarers have the right to refuse to sail in these so-called warlike zones. There were several violations noted, including failure to comply with the strict reportorial processes and other critical requirements prior to sailing. The DMW was considering other possible legal actions against the manning agency and its principal, civil and criminal remedies and verifying reports that there had been at least three fatalities aboiard the 'Eternity C', as well as statements that Houthi militants allegedly abducted several crew members of the bulk carrier. There were at least two statements that have come out, first the Houthi statement that they have 'several' crew; members and second the statement of the USA that they denounced this particular action of taking in the crew as a kidnapping action. It remained to be confirmedwhether indeed the Houthis had the rest of the crew. The DMW was working closely with Sec. Tess Lazaro and the DFA along these lines.

On Nov 2, 2025, the 'Stolt Sagaland' came under fire from armed pirates off the coast of Somalia, while transiting about 332 nautical miles southeast of Mogadishu, within the Somali exclusive economic zone. The chemical tanker was approached by a skiff with a grey and white hull, which had been launched from a suspected mothership at around 04.45 a.m. LT. Four armed men on board the skiff opened fire as they approached the tanker from the starboard side. The crew raised the alarm, increased speed and carried out evasive manoeuvres, while the armed security team on board returned fire. The attackers came within 0.05 nautical miles before retreating to their mothership after the warning shots were fired. No injuries or damage were reported, and the vessel continued its voyage from Al Jubail. The EU NAVFOR Atalanta operation has since raised its threat level in the region, assessing that an active Pirate Action Group (PAG) may be operating off Somalia. The group was believed to be linked to the Iranian dhow 'issamohamadi', which was hijacked on Oct 28 near Garacad and is not transmitting AIS signals. Unusual dhow movements had been reported in the area before the attack. Ambrey warned of the realistic possibility of further suspicious approaches The Maritime authorities have advised vessels to avoid a 100-nautical-mile radius from the attack location. The attack was part of a broader resurgence of Somali piracy that started in November 2023 with a series of hijackings of dhows, that pirates typically use as mother ships to launch attacks hundreds of miles offshore in the Indian Ocean. The authorities continued to investigate the incident and have advised vessels to transit the area with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO.