Royal Navy personnel from Devon and Cornwall were dispatched to watch Russian vessels sailing near the British coast until Dec 31, 2024. The Devonport-based HMS 'Somerset's crew was recalled on Dec 24, before it sailed two days later as the RFS 'Soobrazitelny' and her two support ships 'Sparta II' and 'General Skobelev' sailed across the English Channel. Airborne support was provided during the mission by the Type 23 frigate's Merlin helicopter, which was provided by 814 Naval Air Squadron at RNAS Culdrose. The shadowing operation lasted five days and ended on New Year's Eve. Report with photo: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm2lglneve5o
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PIONEER
The sanctioned 'Pioneer', loaded with liquefied natural gas has been without a buyer for four months, despite having traveled around the globe and now is forced to return to Russia. The case highlights the increasingly tough challenges Russia faces in its attempts to export energy. The West has tightened controls and scared away potential buyers. The 'Pioneer' had left the Arctic LNG 2 facility in the Arctic in August. Despite attempts to hide the ship’s movements with misleading information, it was tracked via satellite images. The ship was looking for a customer who was willing to violate Western sanctions, but without success. After months of fruitless searching, the 'Pioneer' finally chose to return to Koryak, a floating storage unit in Kamchatka.
PROVIDER
A crew member of the 'Provider' was medevaced from the 'Provider' amid gale force winds after suffering a medical emergency on Jan 1, 2025. The 'Samarbeta' of the RNLI station Great Yarmouth and Gorleston was deployed by the Humber Coastguard at 5.17 a.m. to the ship, which was located ten nautical miles east off the Great Yarmouth coast. Gusts were reaching gale force nine, and there was very poor visibility. Despite the adverse weather, the lifeboat crew navigated the 'Samarbeta' at top speed to the 'Provider'. Upon arrival, the supply ship repositioned to provide a lee, offering some shelter from the weather for the lifeboat.The Coxswain directed the lifeboat safely alongside the supply ship, enabling the patient to be transferred into the care of second coxswain and paramedic. With the man aboard, the 'Samarbeta' returned to Great Yarmouth, where an ambulance was waiting to take over. Report with photo: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4glke7xpr1o
VIOLETA THERESA
On Dec 28, 2024, the captain of the 'Violeta Theresa' requested urgent evacuation of a sick crew member. The MRCC of Salvamento Marítimo in Tarifa mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 220 which hoisted the patient and transferred him to the Jerez airport, where an ambulance was already waiting for him for further transport to hospital.
STELLA L
The 'Stella L', which was seized on Nov 27 for being loaded with rice meant for the Public Distribution System and was being used to smuggle it to West Africa, will now resume its voyage on Jan 4., 2025 The ship was flagged during the visit of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Minister for Civil Supplies Nadendla Manohar to the Kakinada port. It had unearthed a major scam that started on a large scale during the YSRCP regime. Many things wer now unfolding that even some former ministers and political leaders had played a major role in the rice smuggling activities.