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A convoy of the two Russian cargo ships 'Sparta' and 'Sparta II' and the Class A oil tanker 'General Skobelev', part of the Kremlin’s so-called ‘ghost fleet, will pass the port of Dover within a few miles sometime in the coming week, raising serious security concerns. Ammunition and weapons on board the three vessels are being repatriated to Russia from Syria. The dictator lost his Navy base in the Mediterranean coastal city of Tartus after the collapse of the Assad regime, which Russia backed throughout the Syrian civil war. Since then, Russia has stepped up its military withdrawal from the country, removing vehicles and containers with a lighting speed. The large landing ships 'Ivan Gren' and 'Alexander Otrakovsky' were also seen as part of the convoy. The convoy is currently positioned a few miles from Lisbon and is sailing towards Spain. The vessels will go through the English Channel and then the North Sea. The 'Sparta I' and 'General Skobelev' are expected to arrive at Saint Petersburg between Feb 21 and 23. The 'Sparta II' will call at the Russian naval port of Baltiysk and then proceed to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The Russian fleet has no friendly port on the way to Saint Petersburg and is forced to repair whatever breakdowns at sea and without assistance. There have already been reports that the 'Sparta' has suffered technical problems both en route to Tartus and on its return journey. Report with photos: https://metro.co.uk/2025/02/10/putin-sending-ships-packed-full-weapons-just-a-miles-dover-22528742/

On Feb 4, 2025, the 'Amo' was detained in Novorossiysk with 16 deficiencies: 1) Labour conditions - Ropes and wires Not as required 2) Labour conditions - Dangerous Areas Unsafe 3) Labour conditions - Lighting (Working spaces) Not as required 4) Fire safety - Fire dampers Inoperative 5) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Propulsion main engine Not as required 6) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Auxiliary machinery Not as required 7) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Gauges, thermometers etc Not as required 8)) Emergency systems - Emergency source of power - emergency generator Inoperative 9) Safety of navigation - Compass correction log Not as required 10) Safety of navigation - Voyage or passage plan Not as required 11) Safety of navigation - Revolution counter Not as required 12) Safety of navigation - Lights, shapes and sound-signals Not as required 13) Life saving Appliances - Rescue boat inventory Not as required 14) Life saving Appliances - Stowage and provision of liferafts Not as required 15) Water/Weathertight - Cargo and other hatchways Not as required 16) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again on Feb 8 and left the port en route to Diliskelesi. The last detentio was on March 21, 2024, in Ambarli with 25 deficiencies for three days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

The 'Viking Star' skipped its scheduled call at Santorini on Feb 10, 2025, with around 900 cruise passengers on board instead the ship headed to the port of the city of Chania because of the ongoing earthquakes that continued to shake Santorini. Normally the "Viking Star" would have been the ship that opened this year's cruise season for the island, where a record was set in Aug 2024 with more than 15,500 people during one day. Due to the high number, the island community planned to enforce a limit of 8,000 cruise tourists per day. But now it could be that no cruise ships will be arriving for the time being, because the earth is still shaking several times an hour and with peaks of magnitude 5. Seismologists and geologists cannot predict when and how the phenomenon will end. This week, schools on Santorini and the neighboring islands of Ios, Anafi and Amorgos will remain closed following a government decision. Most of the population - especially women, children and the elderly - have left the island and sought safety on the mainland.

The "Niko Pirosmani" was detained in Gemlik on Feb 2, 2025, with 20 deficiencies, 12 of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Certificate & Doc - Manning specified by the minimum safe manning Doc Missing 2) Water/Weathertight - Ventilators, air pipes and casings Damaged 3) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats Not properly maintained 4) Life saving Appliances - Lifeboats inventory Not as required 5) Life saving Appliances - Embarkation arrangement survival craft Not properly maintained 6) Life saving Appliances - Distress flares Expired 7) Structural conditions - Bulkhead - cracking Damaged 8)) Strucutural conditions - Other (Structural cond) Other 9) Safety of navigation - Charts Expired 10) Fire safety - Fire detection and alarm system Inoperative 11) Pollution Prevention - Ballast Water Management Plan Not properly maintained 12) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required. The vessel was released again on Feb 8 and proceeded to Istanbul Anchorage, where it moored in pos. 40° 58' N 028° 54' E the same evening and remained stationary as of Feb 11. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On the morning of Feb 10, 2025, the Oinousses Port Authority was informed of the presence of a group of migrants on the island of Panagia. The 41 people, among them 11 men, 11 women and 19 minors, were transferred to Chios by the water taxi 'Agios Nikolaos'and the "Oinoussai III", where they were received by officers of the Police Directorate to be transferred to the Central Port Authority of Chios for registration and identification. A preliminary investigation was being conducted by the Central Port Authority of Chios.