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The 'Stone' offloaded approximately 45,600 pounds of illicit narcotics worth more than $517.5 million at Port Everglades on March 20, 2025. The seized contraband was the result of 14 interdictions in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, and 35 suspected smugglers were transferred ashore to face federal prosecution in U.S. courts. On Dec. 21, 2024, the 'Stone'’s embarked aircrew from the Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 321 miles west of Ecuador. The 'Stone'’s boarding team interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized over 1,630 pounds of cocaine. On Dec. 22, a maritime patrol Dash-8 detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 180 miles southeast of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The 'Stone'’s HITRON aircrew and boarding team interdicted the low-profile go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 12,220 pounds of cocaine. On Jan. 9, a maritime patrol Dash-8 detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 148 miles west of Salinas, Ecuador. The HITRON aircrew and boarding team interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 2,370 pounds of cocaine. On Jan. 28, the 'Stone'’s drone detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 459 miles south of Manzanillo, Mexico. Stone’s boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended five suspected smugglers and seized approximately 3,885 pounds of cocaine. On Jan. 30, the 'Stone'’s UAS crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 715 miles off Mexico. A boarding team interdicted the vessel, apprehended two suspected smugglers and seized approximately 3,800 pounds of cocaine. On Jan. 31, the 'Stone'’s UAS crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 630 miles off Mexico. The HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessel to stop, and the boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized more than 2,565 pounds of cocaine. On Feb. 12, the UAS crew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 655 miles south of Mexico. The HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessel to stop, and the boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized more than 3,640 pounds of cocaine. On Feb. 18, the Coast Guard Cutter 'Mohawk' detected and boarded a sailing vessel approximately 70 miles northwest of Isla Malpelo, Colombia. A boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 635 pounds of cocaine. On Feb. 19, the 'Stone'’s UAS crew detected multiple suspicious vessels approximately 110 miles south of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the non-compliant vessels to stop, and their boarding teams interdicted four go-fast vessels, apprehending eight suspected smugglers and seizing approximately 10,885 pounds of cocaine. On Feb. 25, the 'Mohawk' detected and interdicted a suspicious vessel approximately 230 miles south of Costa Rica. Mohawk’s boarding team apprehended three suspected smugglers and seized approximately 1,600 pounds of cocaine and 330 pounds of marijuana. Costa Rican authorities took custody of the fishing vessel, suspects and bulk contraband for prosecution. On March 10, the HITRON aircrew detected a suspicious vessel in international waters approximately 270 miles southeast of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. The HITRON aircrew employed airborne use of force tactics to compel the vessel to stop, and Stone’s boarding team interdicted the go-fast vessel, apprehending two suspected smugglers and seizing approximately 3,980 pounds of cocaine. The transfer of custody from this case will occur at a later date. The following assets and crews were involved in the interdiction operations: - U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stone (WMSL 758); - U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC 913); - U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) Jacksonville; - U.S. Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team-Pacific (PAC-TACLET); - Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATFS); - Eleventh Coast Guard District. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/4130261/coast-guard-offloads-over-5175-million-in-illicit-drugs-interdicted-in-eastern/

To allow for maintenance works on the 'Loch Shira', serving on the route Largs-Cumbrae, the Ferry 'Loch Tarbert' was operate this route on March 20. Due to a reduced vehicle capacity, wait times might be increased. While the repairs were progressing, there was currently an approximately 30 min waiting tim for vehicles departing Largs aboard the 'Loch Tarbert'. After the successful completion of the works, the 'Loch Shira' finally resumed its service departing from Largs at 4:15 p.m., allowing the traffic queues to be cleared in the aftermath.

Already on Nov 5, 2024, the 'Gotland' was detained in Liverpool with ten deficiencies, six of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Structural conditions - Steering gear Inoperative 2) Life saving Appliances - Rescue boats Inoperative 3) Fire safety - Evaluation of crew performance Lack of familiarity 4) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Propulsion main engine Inadequate 5) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Auxiliary machinery Inadequate 6) ISM - Ism certificate Not as required The vessel was released again only on March 13, 2025, after 129 days,, and left Liverpool en route to the port of Hambur with an ETA as of March 23. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

On March 19, 2025, short before 10 p.m. the Gijón Coordination Center received a call or assistance from the 'Costa da Barca', which was disabled seven nautical miles north of El Musel, after its fishing gear had got entangled in the propeller, and it was unable to steer. The tug Alonso de Chaves ( IMO: 8411164) and the SAR boat 'Salvamar Rigel' were immediately mobilized. On March 20 at 2:45 a.m., the fishing vessel was safely berthed at the Rendiello dock in Gíjon. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1902694788912103630

On March 13, 2025, the 'Daban', carrying Russian crude transferred from three smaller tankers that are under U.S. sanctions unloaded at a berth run by the privately-controlled Qingdao Haiye Group at the port of Qingdao, ending an unusual month-long voyage highlighting the efforts of producers and traders to keep Moscow's oil flowing despite tightened curbs. The VLCC was carrying two million barrels of Russian Sokol oil. The cargo was initially headed to the port of Yantai in Shandong province, a refining hub and top destination for oil sanctioned by the United States. Yantai, part of Shandong Port Group, rejected the cargo.The 'Daban' had transferred oil from the tankers 'Vladimir Arsenyev' on Feb 3, the 'Kapitan Kostichev' on Feb 9 and the 'Victor Konetsky' on Feb 10 at Nakhoda Bay in Russian territorial waters. These three vessels had come under U.S. sanctions on Jan 10. Nakhoda Bay is not known as a regular site for ship-to-ship transfers of oil, making the 'Daban's movements more conspicuous. The tanker is managed by Hong Kong-based Confident Apex Ltd,, while contact information for the company was not available.

The “Solavågen”, serving on the route Solavågen-Festøya, had to suspend its sailings on the morning of March 19, 2025. The operator Norled stated that a rope had got entangled in a propeller. A diver was called to remove the obstruction. At 8:20 a.m., there was a long queue on Festøya. At around 10:30 a.m. the ferry was back in service. Report with photos: https://www.morenytt.no/nyheiter/i/LMg7r1/propell-troebbel-for-ferje

On the night of March 19, 2025, numerous departures of migrant boats were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez, which initially engaged the 'Ridens' in the Dunkirk Channel to monitor an overloaded, precarious boat that had left the west port of Dunkirk at 11:30 p.m., with approximately 40 people on board. At around 3:00 a.m., the boat picked up a new group of people on the coast of Gravelines. The 'Ridens' rescued three people in difficulty in the water, then a group of 12 people aboard the boat requesting evacuation. Among those rescued, one was unconscious. The CROSS Gris-Nez immediately deployed the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based in Le Touquet, with a medical team from the SMUR from Boulogne-sur-Mer on board, as well as the lifeboat 'SNS 276- Notre-Dame des Flandres', based in Gravelines. The unconscious person was treated by the medical team, which was hoisted aboard the 'Ridens'. The medical treatment was unsuccessful in resuscitating the person, who was declared deceased. The 15 people were disembarked at the port of Gravelines by the lifeboat and taken care of by the emergency services on land. An investigation was opened by the Dunkirk prosecutor's office. The 'Ridens' continued to monitor the boat as it made its way towards the United Kingdom with approximately 80 people on board. After coordinating the rescue of two migrants who had fallen overboard and were evacuated to Boulogne-sur-Mer, the CROSS Gris-Nez continued to monitor the boat on which the two rescued individuals had attempted to board earlier on the morning. At midday, following a request for assistance from the migrants, the patrol boat 'Jeanne Barret' rescued the occupants of the boat and initially took 11 people on board, including one unconscious person, while the lifeboat 'SNS 076-Président Jacques Huret' from the Boulogne-sur-Mer SNSM station reinforced the resources on site. While the 'Jeanne Barret' rescued the migrants from the precarious boat, the lifeboat, after having arrived on the scene, provided medical care to the person who had regained consciousness and two other migrants. All 50 people rescued from the boat were taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer by mid-afternoon and treated by land-based rescue services. On March 19, 2025, shortly after 9:00 a.m., the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a group of people attempting to board an rubber boat for an attempt to cross the Strait of Dover was in difficulty in the Equihen beach area. The boat had set sail an hour earlier near Hardelot-Plage. The 'Jeanne Barret', initially deployed by the CROSS Gris-Nez for surveillance, and the National Gendarmerie's RHIB 'Ouranos' were dispatched to the scene. Once on site, two people were detected in the water. One was rescued by the 'Ouranos', suffering from hypothermia, and the other, rescued by the 'Jeanne Barret', was in cardiorespiratory arrest. Both people were evacuated to Boulogne-sur-Mer for treatment by on-shore emergency services. The person in cardiorespiratory arrest was declared deceased despite the intervention of rescue services at sea and on land. At the same time, the CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the semi-rigid 'SNS 6295 Président Jacques Lebrun' from the SNSM station in Boulogne-sur-Mer and the VCSM 'Aber Ildut' to search for possible victims at sea. Other surveillance operations were still underway off the coast of Pas-de-Calais.

The crew members of the 'Solong' and the 'Stena Immaculat'e have been repatriated as the investigation into the incident continues. The HM Coastguard gave its last daily update on the morning of March 20, while a government minister traveled to the area to thank the brave first responders and civilian crews that saved the seafarers as the vessels were engulfed in flames. TheTransport Minister Mike Kane visited Grimsby Docks meeting with personnel from HM Coastguard as well as the teams from offshore wind operator RWE and Windcat which provides the crew transfer services from the port. He praised the actions of the commercial crews and thanked everyone for their efforts which saved the crews. Kane highlighted that the 'Windcat 33', contracted by RWE to assist with the transport of its technicians to RWE's Humber Gateway offshore wind farm, was first on the scene. The crew transfer vessel had completed taking technicians out to the wind farm and was 12 minutes away when the Mayday calls were issued. The crew of the 'Solong' was in a lifeboat when the vessel arrived, took them aboard, and brought them ashore. A second vessel repeated the same process rescuing the crew of the 'Stena Immaculate', which had also abandoned the tanker aboard its lifeboat. The 36 seafarers were triaged at Grimsby Dock. They were treated on scene and one person who had been injured declined further medical assistance. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch was conducting interviews and gathering information as part of its investigation into the incident. Report with photos: https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/crews-from-solong-and-stena-immaculate-return-home-as-salvage-continues

On the morning of March 21, the 'Guardamar Urania' rescued 19 migrants of North African origin, among them two women and three minors, from a cayuco about five nautical miles south of Pasito Blanco. At 4:15 a.m. local time, the disembarkation began in Arguineguin. The rescue operation was oordinated by the CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1902985764851343854

On March 20, 2025, the 'Kolin 2' ran aground in front of the Kepez Port in the Çanakkale Strait. The ship was successfully refloated and berthed with tug assistance, before being examined by a diver team under the coordination of the Çanakkale Ship Traffic Services Center. Report with video: https://x.com/i/status/1902736220720890016

More than a week after the alision of the 'Solong' and the 'Stena Immaculate' off Lincolnshire, clumps of tiny, molten pellets, known as nurdles, were being washed up on its beaches, including in Skegness. While the resort's Pleasure Beach is due to reopen to the public on March 22 after the winter break, black mounds, of varying shapes and sizes, are peppeing the sands. At beach level, people are inspecting them. Teams from East Lindsey District Council have started to clear the mess up. The clumps of pellets, which were fused together by the heat and stinks of fuel. The owners of the 'Solong' have admitted the pellets, which were stored in containers on board, were released because of the accident. On March 17 the HM Coastguard said some were beginning to wash up around The Wash, a large inlet of the North Sea stretching from just south of Skegness to near Hunstanton, in Norfolk. According to the authorities, the pellets are not toxic to humans. Conservationists were warning that wildlife, especially birds, could ingest the pellets and fall seriously ill. The local authorities were leading the onshore response in both Norfolk and Lincolnshire. After the fires on board the 'Solong' have been extinguished, the salvors were now accessing all parts of the vessel. Aerial surveillance flights were monitoring both vessels, which remained stable, and the salvage operation daily. Reports with photos: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15qy413wkwo https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2817e01yno https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/beach-clean-up-continuing-salvors-10037858

More than a week after the alision of the 'Solong' and the 'Stena Immaculate' off Lincolnshire, clumps of tiny, molten pellets, known as nurdles, were being washed up on its beaches, including in Skegness. While the resort's Pleasure Beach is due to reopen to the public on March 22 after the winter break, black mounds, of varying shapes and sizes, are peppeing the sands. At beach level, people are inspecting them. Teams from East Lindsey District Council have started to clear the mess up. The clumps of pellets, which were fused together by the heat and stinks of fuel. The owners of the 'Solong' have admitted the pellets, which were stored in containers on board, were released because of the accident. On March 17 the HM Coastguard said some were beginning to wash up around The Wash, a large inlet of the North Sea stretching from just south of Skegness to near Hunstanton, in Norfolk. According to the authorities, the pellets are not toxic to humans. Conservationists were warning that wildlife, especially birds, could ingest the pellets and fall seriously ill. The local authorities were leading the onshore response in both Norfolk and Lincolnshire. After the fires on board the 'Solong' have been extinguished, the salvors were now accessing all parts of the vessel. Aerial surveillance flights were monitoring both vessels, which remained stable, and the salvage operation daily. Reports with photos: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15qy413wkwo https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2817e01yno https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news/grimsby-news/beach-clean-up-continuing-salvors-10037858

On March 19, 2025, a smoldering fire broke out in a boiler on the 'Bürgermeister Oswald - Elbe 1', which was under maintenance at the Volkswerft shipyard in Stralsund (Vorpommern-Rügen district). The fire department was called out to the lightship, which was docked in the large shipbuilding hall, on the morning. The fire in thee boiler room caused heavy smoke. The shipyard's fire department assisted in evacuating the hall and alerted the professional and volunteer fire departments of the city of Stralsund. By the time emergency services arrived, the fire had already been extinguished by the ship's crew. One person was injured in the fire. The Stralsund fire department was on site with 19 firefighters. The cause of the fire and the extent of the damage are still unclear. Report with photo: https://www.ostsee-zeitung.de/lokales/vorpommern-ruegen/stralsund/schwelbrand-in-schiff-feuerwehren-und-rettungswagen-auf-stralsunder-werft-OLPSYIAKONHAFMNI5AJ7YVVHK4.html

On the night of March 19, numerous departures of migrant boats were reported to the CROSS Gris-Nez, which initially engaged the 'Ridens' in the Dunkirk Channel to monitor an overloaded, precarious boat that had left the west port of Dunkirk at 11:30 p.m., with approximately 40 people on board. At around 3:00 a.m., the boat picked up a new group of people on the coast of Gravelines. The 'Ridens' rescued three people in difficulty in the water, then a group of 12 people aboard the boat requesting evacuation. Among those rescued, one was unconscious. The CROSS Gris-Nez immediately deployed the French Navy's Dauphin helicopter based in Le Touquet, with a medical team from the SMUR from Boulogne-sur-Mer on board, as well as the lifeboat 'SNS 276- Notre-Dame des Flandres', based in Gravelines. The unconscious person was treated by the medical team, which was hoisted aboard the 'Ridens'. The medical treatment was unsuccessful in resuscitating the person, who was declared deceased. The 15 people were disembarked at the port of Gravelines by the lifeboat and taken care of by the emergency services on land. An investigation was opened by the Dunkirk prosecutor's office. The 'Ridens' continued to monitor the boat as it made its way towards the United Kingdom with approximately 80 people on board. After coordinating the rescue of two migrants who had fallen overboard and were evacuated to Boulogne-sur-Mer, the CROSS Gris-Nez continued to monitor the boat on which the two rescued individuals had attempted to board earlier on the morning. At midday, following a request for assistance from the migrants, the patrol boat 'Jeanne Barret' rescued the occupants of the boat and initially took 11 people on board, including one unconscious person, while the lifeboat 'SNS 076-Président Jacques Huret' from the Boulogne-sur-Mer SNSM station reinforced the resources on site. While the 'Jeanne Barret' rescued the migrants from the precarious boat, the lifeboat, after having arrived on the scene, provided medical care to the person who had regained consciousness and two other migrants. All 50 people rescued from the boat were taken to Boulogne-sur-Mer by mid-afternoon and treated by land-based rescue services. On March 19, 2025, shortly after 9:00 a.m., the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that a group of people attempting to board an rubber boat for an attempt to cross the Strait of Dover was in difficulty in the Equihen beach area. The boat had set sail an hour earlier near Hardelot-Plage. The 'Jeanne Barret', initially deployed by the CROSS Gris-Nez for surveillance, and the National Gendarmerie's RHIB 'Ouranos' were dispatched to the scene. Once on site, two people were detected in the water. One was rescued by the 'Ouranos', suffering from hypothermia, and the other, rescued by the 'Jeanne Barret', was in cardiorespiratory arrest. Both people were evacuated to Boulogne-sur-Mer for treatment by on-shore emergency services. The person in cardiorespiratory arrest was declared deceased despite the intervention of rescue services at sea and on land. At the same time, the CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the semi-rigid 'SNS 6295 Président Jacques Lebrun' from the SNSM station in Boulogne-sur-Mer and the VCSM 'Aber Ildut' to search for possible victims at sea. Other surveillance operations were still underway off the coast of Pas-de-Calais.

On March 20, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) revealed that the Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed following the 'Dali' allided with it, had a risk level nearly 30 times above the acceptable threshold for critical bridges. The agency has identified 68 bridges across 19 states that require immediate vulnerability assessments, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Chesapeake Bay Bridge, Verrazano Narrows Bridge, and Greater New Orleans Bridge, among others. These bridges, all designed before current safety guidelines were established, were lacking current vulnerability assessments for allision risks. The NTSB recommended that 30 bridge owners should evaluate their structures against American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) acceptable risk levels. The Maryland Transportation Authority (MTDA) failed to conduct a recommended vulnerability assessment, developed in response to the 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa, Florida, which would have revealed concerning findings about the Key Bridge’s condition. Had they ran the calculation on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, the MDTA would’ve been aware that the bridge was almost 30 times greater than the risk threshold AASHTO sets for critical essential Bridges. 30 times greater- Not only did the MDTA fail to conduct the vulnerability assessment on the Key Bridge, but also did not provide, nor were they able to provide, the NTSB with the data needed to conduct the assessment, including the characteristics of vessel traffic passing under the bridge, vessel transit speeds, vessel loading characteristics, waterway and navigable channel geometry, water depth, environmental conditions, bridge geometry, pier protection systems, and ultimate lateral capacity of the bridge piers. In total, the NTSB has issued four urgent safety recommendations to select bridge owners, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the US Coast Guard, and the US Army Corps of Engineers to safeguard bridges from vessel strikes, part of an interim accident report released today. Recent findings from the NTSB also have uncovered critical details about the 'Dali'’s power failure. Preliminary investigations revealed that electrical breakers HR1 and LR1 unexpectedly tripped when the vessel was approximately three ship lengths from the bridge, resulting in a total blackout. NTSB investigators discovered an interruption in the control circuit for HR1’s undervoltage release system. The investigation has also brought to light that the 'Dali' suffered two separate power blackouts the day before the incident. The first occurred when a crew member accidentally blocked the generator’s exhaust gas stack, while the second was attributed to insufficient fuel pressure. The NTSB’s recommendations extend beyond individual bridge assessments. The agency was calling for an interdisciplinary team comprising the Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide guidance on risk evaluation and reduction strategies. Since 1994, the Federal Highway Administration has required new bridges to be designed with consideration for vessel collision risks. However, the Key Bridge, constructed before these requirements, fell outside these modern safety standards. The NTSB’s investigation into the accident was continuing. The NTSB interim report can be found here: https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2510.pdf

On March 3, 2025, the 'Dagat Mas' was detained in Dalian with 11 deficiencies, two of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Propulsion and auxiliary machinery - Propulsion main engine Not as required 2) Fire safety Other (Fire safety) Other The vessel, which had arrived from Lome on Feb 1 and finally berthed on March 2, left Dalian again on March 7 and remained moored off the port in pos. 38° 53' N 121° 58' E as of March 21. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

After the allision of the 'Meri' with the Kiel-Holtenau high bridges on Nov 30, 2022, at 4:35 a.m., the State Office for Road Construction and Transport (LBV) in Kiel is still awaiting settlement of the costs for repairing the bridges. The state of Schleswig-Holstein has advanced more than nine million euros for the almost year-long work following the accident. The issue of funding remains open. Efforts to obtain reimbursement of the costs incurred from those responsible for the damage are ongoing. Due to the amount of the claim and the complexity of the case, it is assumed that efforts to reimburse costs will take further time. Whether and to what extent claims can be enforced will have to be determined by further negotiations. The freighter was operating on behalf of the crane manufacturer Liebherr to transport a mobile harbor crane from Rostock to Esbjerg. The Federal Bureau of Maritime Accident Investigation in Hamburg found in its report in June 2024 that misunderstandings and confusion led to the accident. For example, the Finnish captain had been given a wrong data sheet for the mobile harbour crane on the deck of the "Meri". In fact, the Esbjerg contract had already been changed months before delivery. Instead of the initially ordered LHM600 58M crane, the successor model, the LHM 600 Evo6, was placed on the deck of the "Meri." The four-meter-higher structure went unnoticed. The captain had been given the data sheet for the originally ordered crane. In the lock, the laser height measurement also failed. No payments have yet been made to the state of Schleswig-Holstein and the federal government. The state-owned company also clarifies, however, that the claims for damages will be asserted in any case. This will have no consequences for the operation of the ship: The "Meri" is permitted to sail through the Kiel Canal and does not face any penalties.

The 'Bers' suffered an engine failure during the transit of the Bosphorus in loaden condition, in front of the 15 Temmuz Şehitler Köprüsü (July 15 Martyrs Bridge), while en route from Iskenderun to Constanta on March 19, 2025, short past noon. The Bosphorus Strait’s shipping traffic was temporarily suspended in both directions. The ship was taken in tow by the tug 'Kurtarma 11' (IMO: 9854399) about one hour later, and safely moored at the Ahırkapı Demir anchorage short before 2 p.m. UTC, under the coordination of the Istanbul VTS Center and assisted by a pilot. Strait traffic was reopened during the afternoon. As of March 20, it remained stationary in pos. 40° 59' N 028° 58' E. Report with photo: https://x.com/kiyiemniyet/status/1902416230411096350

On March 13, 2025, the ARA "Bahía Agradable" (IMO: 701831000) was alerted by the Petrel Maritime Rescue Coordination Center to assist the "Betanzos," which had suffered a serious damage and was forced to anchor north of Livingston Island, in the South Shetland Islands. The logistics ship had suffered total loss of propulsion. The 'Bahía Agradable', which was participating in the Combined Naval Antarctic Patrol, was ordered to tow it to a safe area. On the early morning of March 14, it approached the 'Betanzos' under adverse weather conditions. The safest way to carry out the towing was evaluated, a maneuver that began with the aviso, circling Livingston Island to the west and then sailing through the Fleet Sea to Discovery Bay, a more favourable area. The towing took place over a 130-nautical-miles and lasted 24 hours. in unfavourable conditions, including icebergs, loose debris, low visibility, and waves exceeding three meters height. Despite the difficult weather, the operation was concluded successfully by the Argentine force. The 'Betanzos' was moored in pos. 62° 29' N 059° 42' W on March 15, where it remained stationary as of March 20. Report with photo: https://www.eldiariodelfindelmundo.com/noticias/2025/03/20/110245-la-armada-argentina-asistio-a-buque-chileno

A Russian naval force consisting of four ships was close to rounding Skagen Reef on the afternoon of March 19, 2025, heading towards the Great Belt. The Royal Navy, along with NATO allies, had conducted a coordinated operation to monitor the Russian naval task group since entering the English Channel on March 16. The Type 23 frigate HMS 'Somerset', the minehunter HMS 'Cattistock' and the RFA 'Tidesurge' had participated in the monitoring operation, which began south of Portsmouth. The operation involved both naval assets and aerial surveillance, including a RAF P8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from RAF Lossiemouth. The ships were on their way back from Syria, where they have picked up military equipment that is no longer needed after the Russian-backed President Assad's regime fell in Dec 2024. The ships have been continuously shadowed by aircraft and warships from the NATO countries they have passed, a task that was taken over by units from the Danish Navy when the naval force have passed Skagen. The convoy consisted of the destroyer 'Severomorsk', the landing craft 'Aleksandr Shabalin', and the cargo ships 'Sparta IV' and 'Siyanie Severa', both of which sailing for the Russian Navy. The naval force was on its way to St. Petersburg with the 'SParta IV' having an ETA as of March 24, where equipment from Syria has previously been brought ashore. The Russians are negotiating with the new rulers in Syria for permission to continue using the strategically important naval base in Tartus. The Russians are prepared to pay for the base with Russian oil. The status of these negotiations was unknown. Report with photos: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news/2025/march/19/250319-royal-navy-shadow-russian-task-group-returning-from-syria-in-the-channel