On the afternoon of April 20, 2025, upon the arrival of the 'Flying Cat 3' at the port of Poros, the Port Authority of Poros was informed of the possible existence of an explosive device on board. The ferry was operating the scheduled route Spetses-Hydra-Poros-Piraeus. Immediately, Port Authority officials evacuated the passengers and crew from board, while at the same time the adjacent area of the port was also blocked. In addition, a fire engine, an ambulance vehicle, as well as officials of the Poros Coast Guard were dispatched to the scene. Subsequently, a patrol boat transported members of the Explosive Devices Response Team of the Greek Coast Guard to the site, where a check of the ship, passengers and luggage was carried out with negative results. The ship then continued its route with 256 passengers and 13 crew members on board. A preliminary investigation is being conducted by the Poros Port Authority.
News
Kerch
Russia's Ministry of Transport has set up a ferry service across the Kerch Strait to take over vehicle traffic, offsetting some of the impact of the damage to the Kerch Strait Bridge after a truck was blown up on the westbound road deck of the Kerch Strait Bridge on Oct 7 at about 6 a.m. Two spans of the westbound deck collapsed into the water, but the adjacent eastbound deck remained in place. The blast's timing coincided with the passage of a fuel train on the adjacent rail deck, and it ignited seven fuel tank cars, which burned for hours after the explosion. A Russian salvage diving team has arrived on the site and is completing an underwater survey of the damage, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said Sunday. An above-water inspection process is already under way. Traffic had partially resumed on the bridge by late Saturday, though restricted by the extent of the damage. Russia's Ministry of Transport said that it also resumed suburban commuter rail service over the rail track, though not heavy freight trains. Two ferries are already in operation to provide a bypass route, and eight separate parking lots have been set up for temporary storage for cars and trucks waiting to make the crossing. Two more ferries will join the effort on Monday, the Yeysh and Mriya.
LOCH FRISA
On April 19, 2025, the 'Loch Frisa', serving on the route Oban- Craignure, had a medical incident on board. As a consequence, the scheduled 11:25 a.m. sailing from Oban departed 17 minutes late.
Kerch
The Crimean Bridge across Kerch Strait suffered an explosion and fire in the morning of Oct 8, 2022. Two spans of the motorway bridge collapsed and fell into the water, the railway bridge above the motorway witha cargo train including railway car tanks with fuel, was on fire. All bridge traffic was suspended. The Crimean Bridge was more than a Bridge, both for Russia and Ukraine. For Russia it was a symbol of the Russian “victory” and historical justice. For the Ukraine, it was a symbol of the Russian aggression and Crimea occupation. The navigation span of the Bridge is yet undamaged, and therefore, the Kerch Strait Channel remained navigable. The Kerch Strait Transit is from now on, however, a risky undertaking, so all ship owners are advised to calculate risks and probably, change their ships voyages, avoiding Azov sea calls.
Felixstowe
Workers at Felixstowe have decided to go on a strike for the first time since 1989. Shipping firms and union leaders have warned that the actions could heavily impact the supply chains and also leave buyers waiting for their necessary goods and other commodities. Nearly 1,900 members of the Unite at Felixstowe have walked out in a dispute regarding pay in the most recent outbreak of industrial action to hit some sectors of the economy. Workers, including machine operators, crane drivers, and stevedores will take action after voting by more than nine to one in favor of strikes. The union said that the eight-day halt is likely to have a significant impact on the port that typically handles almost 4m containers in one year from about 2,000 ships. Felixstowe handles about half of the containerized freight that enters the country and the actions could indicate that vessels have to be diverted to ports in other places in Europe or the UK. Haulage majors have warned that the strike could have a serious impact on business, while trade organizations have said that the consumers could be affected by price increases. All through Suffolk, the bill could run into millions and all over the country a lot more. It is not going to impact the food supply chains as all fresh produces are in stock, but it will impact the supply chain in terms of fences, furniture, and bits and bobs. Maersk, one of the largest container shippers in the world, has said that the strike may cause delays and force it to make changes to its vessel lineup. In the meantime, consumers may be hit with price hikes and shortages of some products. Consumer prices are already rising owing to the increases in the shipping rates experienced since the middle of 2020. Further disruptions in the UK are going to add to the cost pressures, even though the temporary unavailability of some commodities may be the first noticeable impact on the consumers.
CORUISK
On April 19, 2025, the crew of the 'Coruisk', serving on the route Oban-Craignure, was investigating a potential caught creel rope in the propeller in the port of Craignure. As a result the following sailings were liable to delay or cancellation at short notice: Departure Craignure - 5:05 p.m. and 7:35 p.m. Departure Oban - 6:20 p.m. The ferry finally departed Craignure at 5:26 p.m., about 20 minutes late.
ARGYLL FLYER
The 'Argyll Flyer', serving on the route Gourock- Dunoon, suffered an exhaust fault on April 1 and had to be removed from service. Calmac operated a single vessel timetable until further notice. During the amended timetable, a replacement shuttle bus service was operated for these sailings: Mondays - Saturday Departure Gourock – 10:15 a.m. Departure Dunoon – 10:45 a.m. Mondays & Fridays Departure Gourock – 11:15 a.m. Departure Dunoon – 11:45 a.m. Due to the exhaust fault, the Gourock-Dunoon route operated a single vessel timetable until further notice. During the amended timetable, a replacement shuttle bus service was operated. As of April 3, the 'Argyll Flyer' still remained off service. Modification and repair plans were underway. Due to crew availability, a replacement bus operated for these cancelled sailings: Depart Gourock April 13: 10:15 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. Departure Dunoon April 13 10:45 a.m. and 11:45 a.m. Gourock-Dunoon service will operate a single vessel timetable until further notice. Until further notice, this amended timetable with a replacement shuttle bus service will be operated by CalMac. Modification and repair plans were underway. https://www.calmac.co.uk/en-gb/service-status/#/service-status/001?route=01.
Odessa
For the fourth day in a row, Iranian-made drones attacked Odesa on Sep 26 in the morning, this time against military targets and without civilian casualties. On Sep 23, two civilians were killed during Russian drone attacks on the port city. On Sep 25, Odesa was attacked by three drones, one of which was reportedly shot down by Ukrainian forces. Ukraine has not officially identified the drones, but from the video footage below it appears, according to experts, that they are Iranian-produced Shakhed 136 drones.
Odessa
Russian missiles struck the port of Odessa on July 23, 2022, violating a deal signed a day earlier to curb grain exports from Black Sea ports and ease global food shortages caused by the war. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the strike as blatant "barbarism" and that Moscow could not be trusted to implement the agreement. The Ukrainian military said that the missiles had not caused any significant damage and that preparations were underway to resume grain exports from Black Sea ports. The deal, signed by Moscow and Kyiv on July 22 and brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, has been hailed as a breakthrough after nearly five months of punitive fighting since Russia invaded its neighbor. By allowing grain exports from Black Sea ports, including Odessa, it is seen as crucial in curbing rising global food prices.
