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Early on July 30, the 'Sefens', loaded with gasoline likely refined from Russian stock, has docked at the Kwinana terminal, approximately 25 miles south of Perth, to offload its cargo. The tanker had departed from the Jamnagar refinery on July 11. Protestors called for the vessel to be turned away, but it was pointed out that the vessel was not in violation of the sanctions. It provided legitimate documentation that it had been loaded in India, and it was admitted that it was nearly impossible to determine the source of the stock. Australia has imposed broad sanctions on Russia since the start of its war against Ukraine. For the first time, it also recently imposed sanctions on shadow fleet tankers, pouncing on reports that nearly 50 % of the feedstock going into Jamnagar was coming from Russia., and said that Australia must move immediately to stop these imports. Australia has imported approximately US$650 million of oil products from India in the first four months of 2025. Most of it was likely made from Russian stock. About 90 % of Australia’s imports from India come from the Jamnagar refinery. Under the pressure building on intermediaries, India’s state refineries have all suspended purchases of Russian oil this week, scrambling to find alternative sources, primarily in the Middle East. However, the state refineries are not the largest buyers, which remain the private companies in India, including Reliance Industries and Nayara Energy. After the EU sanctions against Nayara, there have been multiple reports of tankers diverting and companies demanding that their contracts be canceled due to the sanctions.

A massive fire, along with several other errors, had set plans back somewhat, but on Aug 1, 2025, the 'Thalassitis' finally sets sail on is maiden voyage from Piraeus to Crete. The ferry will, however, sail only on a roll-on/roll-off basis, without carrying passengers.

The 'Loch Riddon', operating on the route Tobermory-Kilchoan, suffered a technical issue on July 31. As a consequence, the 4:00 p.m. sailing from Tobermory wa delayed, while repairs were in process. After the repairs to the aft main engine have been completed, the vessel departed from Tobermory at 5:00 p.m. and Kilchoan at 5:40 p.m. instead of 4:45 p.m. The 6:00 p.m. sailing from Tobermory was delayed to approximately 6:15 p.m.

On the night of July 29, the CROSS Gris-Nez was notified about the departure of several migrant boats from the coasts of Nord and Pas-de-Calais. First, a boat was reported leaving the Aa Canal in the middle of the night. The 'Minck' was deployed to monitor the boat. Once on site, the 'Minck' launched its operational drom boat (EDO). During the surveillance, several people on board the boat requested assistance. On the morning, the 'Minck's crew rescued a total of 33 people. The remaining occupants refused the offered assistance and continued on their way. On the foremidday, the rescued people were taken to the port of Calais and taken into care by the land authorities. At 3:00 a.m., another boat was reported departing from Dunkerque. The 'Abeille Normandie' was deployed by the CROSS to monitor the boat. Following an engine problem, several people from the boat requested assistance. The crew of the emergency tug launched an inflatable boat and rescued 23 people. The remaining occupants of the boat refused the offered assistance and continued on their way. All rescued people were taken to the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer. Finally, on the morning, a third boat was spotted off the coast of Le Touquet. The CROSS deployed the 'ESMP 03' for surveillance. The 'ESMP 03' reported that the boat was taking on water and began rescuing the people. The CROSS broadcast a Mayday relay and engaged a Dauphin helicopter of the Navy base in Le Touquet as well as the lifeboat 'SNS076-Président Jacques Huret' from the Boulogne-sur-Mer SNSM station. A total of 36 people were rescued, including one with minor injuries. All rescued were immediately dropped off by the 'ESMP 03' on the beach at Dannes for treatment by the firefighters. The remaining occupants of the boat refused the offered assistance and continued on their way. During other coordinated operations throughout the day, two people were also rescued by the RIB 'SNS 7-034-Notre Dame des Sables' of the Berck-sur-Mer SNSM statio and the RIB 'Ouranos' of the Calais Gendarmerie. A total of 94 people were rescued and cared for by French maritime assistance and rescue resources.

A number of sanctioned North Korean oil tankers, the 'Song Won 2' (IMO: 8312497), 'An San 1', 'Kum Jin Gang 3' (IMO: 8791667) and 'Sin Phyong 9' (IMO: 8916293). have been openly transmitting AIS signals in Chinese waters in July 2025, despite U.N. resolution requiring Beijing to seize and inspect the vessels, as China and Russia were ignoring illicit DPRK activity. The latter three have also frequented an oil pier at Russia’s Vostochny Port, the DPRK tankers’ main destination for fuel runs, in the past. The vessels were underway presumably for fuel pickups. The four ships were under U.N. sanctions. A fifth vessel, the 'Chong Ryong San', was not subject to U.N. sanctions, but the now-disbanded U.N. Panel of Experts previously reported on the tanker illegally shuttling petroleum products to North Korea’s main port of Nampho and conducting illicit ship-to-ship transfers. The vessel, as it is not registered with the International Maritime Organization and thus lacks an IMO number.

The FBI was investigating sexual assault allegations on the 'Carnival Breeze'. The alleged sexual assault incident took place onboard the ship on a cruise that returned to Galveston on July 28, 2025. As is customary with crimes aboard a cruise ship, an FBI Maritime Liaison Agent, based out of the Texas City Resident Agency, was coordinating with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the cruise line regarding the incident, also keeping in line with case reviews or open investigations, The cruise was four days and made a stop in Cozumel.

At the 'Kepejora', which sank the Sambre River near Auvelais with nearly 20 tons of fuel oil on board, the operations continued to stem the pollution caused by the shipwreck. The ship has been refloated late on July 29, but the operations have not been completed. On July 26, a floating barrier had been installed to contain the several thousand liters of fuel oil, which leaked from a damaged tank, and prevent any pollution of the Sambre River. The damaged tank was plugged by divers on July 26. The objective of the next operations was to contain the pollution and reopen the lock as quickly as possible. To achieve this, a pump truck arrived on site on July 30. The next objective was to tow the barge to a shipyard for dismantling Report with photo: https://www.sudinfo.be/id1022858/article/2025-07-30/les-operations-se-poursuivent-autour-de-la-peniche-qui-sombre-dans-la-sambre

Campaigners have warned that the 'Seferis', destined for the port of Kwinana, was carrying Russian oil despite sanctions put in place because of the Ukraine war. The 'Seferis' left Sitka two weeks ago full of oil from the Jamnagar refinery, and it is due to arrive in the outer-Perth suburb of Kwinana on July 27 at 4 a.m. The Jamnagar refinery is notoriously fed by Russian crude oil, with as much as 55 per cent of their 2025 stock coming from the European pariah. The alarm has been raised about a “loophole” that allows Russian oil to be bought and sold in Australia, with local campaigners and parliamentarians calling for immediate action. The Independent federal MP Andrew Wilkie raised the issue in Question Time on July 25: “In July, two vessels reportedly docked in Botany Bay, with some 175,000 tonnes of petrol from the Jamnagar refinery in India, which uses up to 55 per cent Russian oil. So these vessels effectively carry some 90,000 tonnes of Russian-sourced petrol, paid for by Australians, which will help fund Putin’s war in Ukraine.” The loophole has recently been closed in the European Union, which has banned the importation of petroleum products refined form Russian crude oil in its 18th sanctions package against Russia. The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations has urged Australia to take similar action. Since February 2023, Australia has imported an estimated $3.7bn worth of Russian crude, as a component in refined petroleum products from Indian refineries – sending around $1.8bn in tax revenue to the Kremlin.

On the early morning of July 31, the Heraklion Port Authority was informed that during the arrival at the port, the 'Blue Star Chios' suffered a ramp failure occurred. The ferry was operating a scheduled route from the port of Thira with 276 passengers, 35 private vehicles, five trucks and nine motorcycles on board. The Central Port Authority of Heraklion initially prohibited the departure of the ferry. After the presentation of a certificate of repair of the damage and maintenance of seaworthiness from the classification society that monitors it, it was allowed to continue sailing to Sitia-Kassos-Pigadia Karpathos-Rhodes with 364 passengers, 60 private vehicles, 10 trucks and 12 motorcycles.

The "Yalissa" was detained another time on July 24, 2025: Detained in Kocaeli with 27 deficiencies, seven of which being regarded as seriously and grounds for a detention: 1) Safety of navigation - Charts Not updated 2) Fire safety - Fire pump and its pipes Not as required 3) Fire safety - Ready availability of fire fighting equipment Not properly stowed 4) Fire safety - Fixed fire exthinguishing installation Not as required 5) Pollution Prevention - Other (Marpol Annex I) Other 6) Structural conditions - Decks - Constructions Not as required 7) Emergency systems - Emergency source of power - emergency generator Inoperative The vessel was released again on July 29 and left the port enroute to Eregli, where it arrived on July 31. The last detentions were on Jan 1 in Zonguldak with 25 deficiencies for eight days and on Dec 12,2024, also in Kocaeli with 18 deficiencies for four days. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063576908591

A number of sanctioned North Korean oil tankers, the 'Song Won 2' (IMO: 8312497), 'An San 1' (IMO: 7303803), 'Kum Jin Gang 3' (IMO 8791667) and 'Sin Phyong 9' have been openly transmitting AIS signals in Chinese waters in July 2025, despite U.N. resolution requiring Beijing to seize and inspect the vessels, as China and Russia were ignoring illicit DPRK activity. The latter three have also frequented an oil pier at Russia’s Vostochny Port, the DPRK tankers’ main destination for fuel runs, in the past. The vessels were underway presumably for fuel pickups. The four ships were under U.N. sanctions. A fifth vessel, the 'Chong Ryong San', was not subject to U.N. sanctions, but the now-disbanded U.N. Panel of Experts previously reported on the tanker illegally shuttling petroleum products to North Korea’s main port of Nampho and conducting illicit ship-to-ship transfers. The vessel, as it is not registered with the International Maritime Organization and thus lacks an IMO number.

The long-standing issue of the deteriorating 'Tulele' at the Buka Wharf in Bougainville has once again resurfaced in the Bougainville House of Representatives, raising serious concerns over safety and accountability. The vessel, which was brought into Bougainville with the intention of servicing Nissan and the Atolls constituencies, is now visibly tilting and deteriorating in the Buka Passage. Members have warned it could become an environmental and maritime disaster if not urgently removed. The 'Tulele' was purchased by the previous Autonomous Bougainville Government for K1 million from Korea, despite its original value of K9 million. It was meant to boost sea transport in remote areas. However, the National Maritime Safety Authority (NMSA) deemed the ship unseaworthy shortly after its arrival and grounded it. The vessel has remained docked since, sinking slowly and accumulating more than K1 million in berthing fees. The ownership company, Bou & Ko (a joint Bougainville-Korea venture), has failed to take responsibility for the vessel’s condition or its removal. The issue has drawn in multiple agencies, including NMSA, PNG Customs, and PNG Ports, complicating efforts to address the situation. Legal constraints are further slowing the ABG’s ability to act decisively. With growing fears over public safety, pressure was mounting for all responsible authorities to resolve the matter and ensure the MV Tulele is removed before disaster strikes. Report with photo: https://www.postcourier.com.pg/sinking-ship-sparks-political-blame-game-in-bougainville/

The expedition cruise line Swan Hellenic has finally been able to regain the 'SH Minerva', after a three-year legal battle related to the sanctions placed on Russian companies after the invasion of Ukraine. The ship has been laid up in Uruguay since the spring of 2022, while lawyers sought to find a solution to free the ship from an unintentional legal trap. The ship aws the first of ultimately three ships used to restart the famed Swan Hellenic bran, delivered in 2021 by the Helsinki Shipyard, using a common legal structure with the ships being built for a single purpose finance company, which in turn was leasing them long-term to Swan Hellenic. The leasing deal was with an Irish subsidiary of the Russian financial giant GTLK. After the invasion of Ukraine and the imposition of sanctions, Swan Hellenic was barred from making lease payments on the ship, but due to the legal structure and sanctions also could not buy the ship. Swan Hellenic in March 2022 declared its intent to buy the leasing companies, but that too was caught in the legal entanglement of the sanctions. To free Swan Hellenic’s second and third ships from the legal trap, the Helsinki Shipyard declared the construction agreements void and auctioned the incomplete ships, making it possible for the company to buy the ships. However, the process of freeing the 'SH Minerva' proved more complicated and became even more involved in May 2023 when the GTLK subsidiary was declared insolvent and placed in the hands of liquidators. The liquidators who had control of GTLK Europe and its subsidiaries, obtained compliance with all the applicable sanctions for the sale of the assets, including the 'SH Minerva'. After lengthy negotiations, Swan Hellenic has now been able to acquire the ship in accordance with all applicable sanctions. The transaction was completed on July 25, 2025, using shareholders’ funds. The ship remained at Fray Bentos and will undergo routine maintenance and preparations for its return to service in Nov 2025. It has been in Uruguay since April 2022, when it completed its Antarctic cruise season, while the company proceeded with operations of its sister ship 'SH Vega', introduced in July 2022, and the larger 'SH Diana', introduced in April 2023. The 'SH Minerva'' will join the fleet with all three ships operating the 2025-2026 Antarctic cruise season. In March 2026, the 'SH Minerva' will launch the company’s first-ever Asia-Pacific season, sailing to the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan.

Solidarity has been taking hold among the fishermen and the maritime community of Dieppe after the loss of the 'Tim Bao' on July 2, off the coast of Saint-Valery-en-Caux. The two fishermen Evan Bunet and Bryan Lucas, who were aboard the whelk-fishing vessel owned by Franck Villard, were saved, but then there was the idea of offering a charity sale to benefit the shipowner and his two sailors, who were left without their tools. Dieppe fishermen who wish to do so can donate a portion of their catch at the Dieppe fish market on Aug 5 and Oct 15, the proceeds of which will be donated in full to them. Furthermore, on social media, the mayor of Dieppe indicated that the City was keen to financially support the three men. This solidarity donation of €3,000 will be presented to the city council.

On July 31, 2025, at around 3:00 p.m., the CROSS Jobourg received a Mayday alert that a semi-rigid pleasure craft was in distress and sinking off the Chausey archipelago. Since it was nearby, the "Jolie France" was immediately diverted to assist the vessel. The 11 shipwrecked people, including three who had fallen overboard, were safely recovered aboard the "Jolie France." They were taken to the dock in Granville and did not require medical assistance. At the same time, , the CROSS engaged the lifeboat 'SNS 17-12 - Notre Dame du Cap Lihou II' from the Granville SNSM station to tow the semi-rigid boat, as well as the 'SNS 719 - Père Delaby' from the SNSM station Chausey to recover the various debris at sea and the liferaft.

Due to essential maintenance on the 'Lochnevis', operating on the route Mallaig-Small Isles on the evening of July 31, the scheduled sailings on Aug 1 were announced to be liable to disruption or cancelation at short notice by the operator CalMac.

An SAR operation was launched in the Timor Sea to find a U.S sailor, who was missing and believefd to have gone overboard from the USS 'George Washington' on July 28, 2025, involving the carrier and its escort destroyers, the USS 'Robert Smalls' and USS 'Shoup' -.The Australian Defense Force and Australian Border Force were helping in the search, aided by the carrier's air wing. The Australian Border Force and Australian Defense Force also contributed to the search. The name, rank or the circumstances in which the incident occurred have not been revealed. The U.S. Navy has called off the multiday search on the afternoon of July 30. At the time of the incident, the 'George Washington' was participating in a large-scale joint exercise with Australian forces, which included 43,000 personnel from 19 nations, and the Royal Navy carrier HMS 'Prince of Wales'. During a five-year yard period from 2017-22, nine sailors assigned to the carrier have died by suicide, including three in April 2022 alone. A command investigation found that the crew's quality of life during the yard period was austere and demanding, and that morale aboard was low; the report led to significant changes in how the Navy assigns enlisted service members to yard periods and provides for their accommodations.

A number of sanctioned North Korean oil tankers, the 'Song Won 2' (IMO: 8312497), 'An San 1' (IMO: 7303803), 'Kum Jin Gang 3' and 'Sin Phyong 9' (IMO: 8916293). have been openly transmitting AIS signals in Chinese waters in July 2025, despite U.N. resolution requiring Beijing to seize and inspect the vessels, as China and Russia were ignoring illicit DPRK activity. The latter three have also frequented an oil pier at Russia’s Vostochny Port, the DPRK tankers’ main destination for fuel runs, in the past. The vessels were underway presumably for fuel pickups. The four ships were under U.N. sanctions. A fifth vessel, the 'Chong Ryong San', was not subject to U.N. sanctions, but the now-disbanded U.N. Panel of Experts previously reported on the tanker illegally shuttling petroleum products to North Korea’s main port of Nampho and conducting illicit ship-to-ship transfers. The vessel, as it is not registered with the International Maritime Organization and thus lacks an IMO number.

On the evening of July 29, 2025, a fire broke out in the engine room of the 'Pumba', en route from Damietta to Donghai with 29 Indian crew members and 21,000 tons of container cargo on board, while it was sailing southbound approximately three nautical miles from the South East Hamad oil platform, owned by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation. in the Gulf of Suez. The GUPCO Marine Control Tower of the Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources received an emergency alert from the marine control room in the Red Sea city of Ras Gharib, and swiftly coordinated with relevant authorities and dispatched four tugs, among them the 'Black Panther' (IMO: 9268095), 'Ocean Dahab' ((IMO: 9752864) and 'PMS 4' ((IMO: 8325183) ). from petroleum companies to assist in firefighting and rescue operations. The joint efforts resulted in full control of the fire with no casualties, and the vessel was towed to a safe anchorage area, away from operational zones and vital navigation routes. The vessel was towed to the pos. 28° 26' N 033° 04' E by the offshore tug 'Maridive 230' (IMO: 9346287), supported by the 'Inw 30' (IMO: 9776705), whiere itr remained stationary as of July 31. There were no casualties. The cause of the fire has not yet been disclosed. The incident did not disrupt any major navigation routes in the area, and safety measures were effectively implemented. Report with photos: https://see.news/fire-aboard-container-ship-pumba-near-gulf-of-suez-successfully-extinguished-petroleum-min

The 'Wn Hai 503' has been towed to the Laccadive Sea, approximately 150 nautical miles southwest of the coasts of India and Sri Lanka. Five tugs remained on-site to support operations. Meanwhile, a formal request to define a port of refuge, including a comprehensive project plan, has been submitted to Sri Lankan authorities, although the use of other terminals for the vessel's shelter was still under consideration.