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The 'Sparta' got into difficulty in Dec 17, 2024, in rough seas off Brittany in the north-west of France. The Russian ship initially did not respond to French communications until acknowledging it had a problem. "I'm in trouble. My engines are currently down, the tiller isn't responding. We're going to try to repair it in the coming minutes," the ship radioed. After drifting for 61 minutes, the 'Sparta' said it was back on course.

The "Ursa Major" sank in the Mediterranean on the night of Dec 23 south of the port city of Cartagena. There was an explosion in the engine room. Two sailors are missing. The ship came from St. Petersburg and was also supposed to go to Syria. In a brief statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry confirmed the sinking of the freighter in "international waters" shortly after 9 a.m. on Christmas Eve. The "Ursa Major" had capsized and then sank around midnight. Shipping in the area is now being warned of drifting wreckage. Of the 16 crew members, 14 were rescued and brought to Cartagena by the Spanish maritime rescue service. The two missing sailors were presumably killed in the explosion and sank with the ship. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, the sailors are not from Russia. Shortly after the explosion, the "Ursa Major" started to list, and a distress call was sent. Spain sent the naval ship "Serviola" and the emergency tug "Clara Campoamor" to the position south of Cartagena. The "Ursa Major" was already listing heavily when it arrived. The Russian freighter "Sparta", which had set off from the Baltic Sea together with the "Ursa Major", also went to the stricken vessel, but could not do anything. The rescued sailors were taken on board the emergency tug. The "Ursa Major" had also loaded two large harbour cranes and was supposed to take these cranes to Vladivostok in Asia. However, during the journey through the Baltic and North Seas, the "Sparta" and "Ursa Major" were escorted by the Russian frigate "Soobrazitelny", which also indicates that there was military goods from the Russian army on board.

The body of a 43-year-old man who was among the two missing passengers after a Navy craft rammed into the 'Neel Kamal' off the Mumbai coast, was found on Dec 19 near the ferry. The incident happened near Butcher Island, about eight kilometres from the Gateway of India. The Navy craft undergoing engine trials lost control and collided with the ferry. The death toll in the tragedy has now gone up to 14. Search operation continued to locate a seven-year-old boy who was still missing a day after the accident. A naval helicopter and boats of the Navy and Coast Guard were deployed on Dec 19 . Eight boats, including those from the Navy and Coast Guard, were involved in the SAR operation. Of the 113 persons on board both vessels, 14 died and 98, including two injured, were rescued. There were six persons on board the Navy craft, of which two survived. The 14 who died included eight men, four women and two children. A Navy personnel and two contractual naval employees were among the deceased. Late in the night, police released the names of ten of the deceased. They are Mahendra Singh Shekhawat (Navy); Praveen Sharma (worker on NAD boat); Mangesh (worker on NAD boat); Mohammad Rehan Qureshi (passenger boat); Rakesh Nanaji Ahire (passenger Boat); Safiana Pathan; Mahi Pawara (aged 3); Akshata Rakesh Ahire; Mithu Rakesh Ahire (aged 8) and Deepak V. Two women and a male victim were yet to be identified.

Damage to Holyhead Port during storm Darragh is feared to be worse than originally thought, and could see ferry services cancelled until after Christmas, resulting in Christmas parcels travelling to and from Ireland being delayed until after the festive season, with people travelling for the festive period also affected. Initally all services were cancelled until Dec 20, but the damage was becoming more apparent as the days went by. Port bosses revealed on Dec 16, that the reported two separate incidents on December 6 and 7 had led to part of the berth structure collapsing and becoming unusable, with underwater inspections of the structural integrity of other berths taking place from Dec 10, after the passing of Darragh. This process was still ongoing. Ferry services will only be permitted to resume once it was sure it would be safe. On Dec 15 the junior minister at the Department of Transport, James Lawless, met his Welsh counterpart Ken Skates. Both met with Stena Line on Dec 16 at 1 p.m. Both ministers were asking for Stena Line to give more accurate and timely updates on the scale of the damage and repairs needed at Holyhead.

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13 persons died and 101 others were rescued after a Navy speed boat crashed into the ferry 'Neelkamal' off the Mumbai coast on Dec 17, 2024. The dead included 10 civilians and three Navy personnel. The ferry was on way to Elephanta Islands, a popular tourist destination near Mumbai, when the speed boat crashed into it around 4 p.m, The Navy and Coast Guard launched a massive SAR operation, with 11 Navy boats and three boats of Marine Police and a boat of Coast Guard being deployed in the area. Four helicopters were also involved as well as personnel from police, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority and fishermen in the area. Report with photos and video: https://www.telegraphindia.com/gallery/several-passengers-dead-many-rescued-after-speed-boat-rams-ferry-off-mumbai-coast-photogallery/cid/2071682?slide=1 https://www.republicworld.com/videos/india/boat-colliding-into-passenger-ferry-video

The shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and the superyacht shipyard Nobiskrug Rendsburg have officially filed for insolvency on Dec 12, 2024, deepening the ongoing crisis for their parent company, Tennor Group, and its owner, Lars Windhorst. District courts in Flensburg and Neumünster have appointed the lawyers Christoph Morgen, Partner, Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann, Partner, REIMER as provisional insolvency administrators. The insolvency filings, submitted to the district courts in Flensburg and Neumünster, follow months of financial instability and reported mismanagement. The bleak reality of the situation became evident on Dec 9, when the SH public utility company threatened to cut off the power supply at the Rendsburg facility due to a lack of payments since Dec 1. No immediate action was taken because the federal police ship 'Neustadt' was still in the drydock for repairs. Workers at both firms are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The shipyards’ financial woes have left around 500 employees in limbo before Christmas, many of whom have already been laid off. At a recent rally in Flensberg, workers' union representatives alleged repeated delays in salary payments, including November wages and Christmas bonuses. Local sources report that Flensburg Works Council chairman Jan Brandt accused Windhorst of lying repeatedly and breaking promises of timely payments. Windhorst has become a target of criticism. He has been accused of mismanagement, poor communication and unfulfilled promises. In recent months, workers, unions and politicians have all demanded his resignation. Schleswig-Holstein’s Economics Minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen, called for Windhorst to face up to his responsibility and sell the shipyards or insolvency would clear the way for new investors. The Tennor Group took over the FSG in 2019, relaunching it as “FSG 2.0” without old debts or new orders. Despite repeated announcements of future projects, they failed to materialise, leaving the shipyard vulnerable. In 2021, FSG acquired the Rendsburg-based yard Nobiskrug as it filed for insolvency, but the acquisition has done little to alleviate the financial strain. In the summer 2024, the situation worsened as the German federal government withdrew a €62 million grant intended for the construction of liquefied gas bunker ships at FSG, citing Tennor’s inability to demonstrate sufficient equity capital. Now, the provisional insolvency administrators are working with the project managers of the RoRo ferry at FSG and the yacht Nobiskrug to resolve both projects. If necessary, the administrators plan to consult with federal and state governments about potential interim financing to bridge construction costs until client acceptance and payment. Meanwhile, they will explore further restructuring strategies for both shipyards. Insolvency pre-financing has also been arranged to secure financial recompense for the 340 workers at the Flensburg site and the 140 employees from the Rendsburg facility. This measure will cover payments through the end of Jan 2025, including the overdue November salaries.

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The 'Ursa Major', sent by the Russian Federation to evacuate its weapons and equipment from Syria, has suffered a failure of the fuel line of the main engine on Dec 22, 2024. The crew was trying to fix the problem, while the ship was drifting off Algeciras. The incident occurred amid the withdrawal of Russian forces from Syria, following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad. Troops have been withdrawn to the bases in Khmeimim and Tartus, preparing for a possible complete evacuation by Feb 20, 2025. In parallel, Russia has begun transferring part of its military equipment from the port of Tartus to Libya. In addition, negotiations are underway with Libyan leader Khalifa Haftar to relocate naval assets and military equipment to Libyan territory, seeking to maintain its strategic presence in the region after the loss of influence in Syria.

Holyhead Port is to remain closed until Jan 15, 2025, at the earliest. All ferry services between Dublin and Holyhead are cancelled until this time. The closure follows the damage to the Terminal 3 berth on Dec 6 by the 'Ulsysses' during Storm Darragh. The damage was still being assessed and the port took the decision to keep the ferry berths closed to provide certainty for passengers, freight customers and ferry operators and allow them make alternative arrangements. Stena Line said it was contacting all affected passengers. People who are booked to travel on the Dublin-Holyhead route from Dec 20 onwards can transfer the booking free of charge to alternative routes, including Dublin-Liverpool, Dublin-Fishguard as well as Belfast-Cairnryan. The company was doing everything in its power to mitigate the effects of the closure on passenger and freight traffic. 10,000 freight vehicles were moving in and out of Holyhead per week before its closure. 60% of the goods coming into Ireland normally move through the damaged port.

The shipbuilder Flensburger Schiffbau-Gesellschaft (FSG) and the superyacht shipyard Nobiskrug Rendsburg have officially filed for insolvency on Dec 12, 2024, deepening the ongoing crisis for their parent company, Tennor Group, and its owner, Lars Windhorst. District courts in Flensburg and Neumünster have appointed the lawyers Christoph Morgen, Partner, Brinkmann & Partner and Hendrik Gittermann, Partner, REIMER as provisional insolvency administrators. The insolvency filings, submitted to the district courts in Flensburg and Neumünster, follow months of financial instability and reported mismanagement. The bleak reality of the situation became evident on Dec 9, when the SH public utility company threatened to cut off the power supply at the Rendsburg facility due to a lack of payments since Dec 1. No immediate action was taken because the federal police ship 'Neustadt' was still in the drydock for repairs. Workers at both firms are bearing the brunt of the crisis. The shipyards’ financial woes have left around 500 employees in limbo before Christmas, many of whom have already been laid off. At a recent rally in Flensberg, workers' union representatives alleged repeated delays in salary payments, including November wages and Christmas bonuses. Local sources report that Flensburg Works Council chairman Jan Brandt accused Windhorst of lying repeatedly and breaking promises of timely payments. Windhorst has become a target of criticism. He has been accused of mismanagement, poor communication and unfulfilled promises. In recent months, workers, unions and politicians have all demanded his resignation. Schleswig-Holstein’s Economics Minister, Claus Ruhe Madsen, called for Windhorst to face up to his responsibility and sell the shipyards or insolvency would clear the way for new investors. The Tennor Group took over the FSG in 2019, relaunching it as “FSG 2.0” without old debts or new orders. Despite repeated announcements of future projects, they failed to materialise, leaving the shipyard vulnerable. In 2021, FSG acquired the Rendsburg-based yard Nobiskrug as it filed for insolvency, but the acquisition has done little to alleviate the financial strain. In the summer 2024, the situation worsened as the German federal government withdrew a €62 million grant intended for the construction of liquefied gas bunker ships at FSG, citing Tennor’s inability to demonstrate sufficient equity capital. Now, the provisional insolvency administrators are working with the project managers of the RoRo ferry at FSG and the yacht Nobiskrug to resolve both projects. If necessary, the administrators plan to consult with federal and state governments about potential interim financing to bridge construction costs until client acceptance and payment. Meanwhile, they will explore further restructuring strategies for both shipyards. Insolvency pre-financing has also been arranged to secure financial recompense for the 340 workers at the Flensburg site and the 140 employees from the Rendsburg facility. This measure will cover payments through the end of Jan 2025, including the overdue November salaries.