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The Royal Netherlands Navy escorted the Russian convoy, consisting of the landing ships 'Alexandr Otrakovsky' of the Ropucha class and 'Ivan Gren of the Ivan Gren class, the supply ship 'Yelnya' of the Altay class, the ' General Skobelev' and the transport ships 'Sparta' and 'Sparta II', through the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone during the weekend of Feb 15/16. After the passage, other NATO partners took over the escort. The Dutch navy had deployed the Zr.Ms. 'Johan de Witt' for the escort. The on-board helicopter NH90 was also used. The escort was not only to be vigilant, but also to be able to intervene in suspicious actions or disruptions. In this way, the defence protects the critical infrastructure under water. Report with photo: https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/02/16/marine-escorteert-russische-taakgroep-van-6-schepen-op-noordzee

On the evening of Feb 16, 2025, a medical emergency occurred on the 'Aida Cosma' off the Canary Islands. A passenger needed to be medevaced, while the ship was supposed to head for Funchal. Bad weather conditions made the call impossible. As a result, the vessel was south of Tenerife. A rescue helicopter was requested, which landed on the ship's deck at around 6 p.m. The patient was stabilized on a stretcher and then flown to the nearest hospital for medical treatment on a higher level.

The Royal Netherlands Navy escorted the Russian convoy, consisting of the landing ships 'Alexandr Otrakovsky' of the Ropucha class and 'Ivan Gren of the Ivan Gren class, the supply ship 'Yelnya' of the Altay class, the ' General Skobelev' and the transport ships 'Sparta' and 'Sparta II', through the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone during the weekend of Feb 15/16. After the passage, other NATO partners took over the escort. The Dutch navy had deployed the Zr.Ms. 'Johan de Witt' for the escort. The on-board helicopter NH90 was also used. The escort was not only to be vigilant, but also to be able to intervene in suspicious actions or disruptions. In this way, the defence protects the critical infrastructure under water. Report with photo: https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/02/16/marine-escorteert-russische-taakgroep-van-6-schepen-op-noordzee

The US Coast Guard detained an crew member illegally present in the U.S. and the captain of the 'Los Nietos' near Port Isabel, on the afternoon of Feb 14, 2025. During the boarding, a Coast Guard Station South Padre Island boat crew identified a crew member as a Mexican national. The captain of the fishing vesse had an outstanding felony warrant for weapons charges. The Mexican was transferred to U.S. Border Patrol for processing, and the vessel’s captain was booked into the South Padre Island Jail. Members of the South Padre Island Police Department, Customs and Border Protection Air Marine Operations, and the U.S. Border Patrol assisted in the case. Report with photos: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4068827/coast-guard-detains-illegal-alien-crewmember-and-captain-of-fishing-vessel-with/

The Royal Netherlands Navy escorted the Russian convoy, consisting of the landing ships 'Alexandr Otrakovsky' of the Ropucha class and 'Ivan Gren of the Ivan Gren class, the supply ship 'Yelnya' of the Altay class, the ' General Skobelev' and the transport ships 'Sparta' and 'Sparta II', through the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone during the weekend of Feb 15/16. After the passage, other NATO partners took over the escort. The Dutch navy had deployed the Zr.Ms. 'Johan de Witt' for the escort. The on-board helicopter NH90 was also used. The escort was not only to be vigilant, but also to be able to intervene in suspicious actions or disruptions. In this way, the defence protects the critical infrastructure under water. Report with photo: https://www.defensie.nl/actueel/nieuws/2025/02/16/marine-escorteert-russische-taakgroep-van-6-schepen-op-noordzee