LAUGA

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Two ships suspected of deploying drones

The cargo m/v 'HAV Dolphin' (IMO: 9073854) with a full Russian crew that was stopped at the Volkerak locks near Willemstad in mid-May, being suspected of having deployed drones over European territory. German investigation services had warned the Coast Guard a few hours earlier that the ship had behaved suspiciously off the coast of Kiel in early May, exactly at the time that drones were spotted there. The ship was inspected by a team from Customs, the Royal Marechaussee and the police, but no drones were found. On the night June 17 May, 2025, drones appeared again, this time above the German patrol ship 'Potsdam', which at that time shadowed the Russian 'Lauga' in the German Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),. The drones followed the patrol ship for three hours, until just before Dutch waters. The German police were unable to determine whether the drones came from the 'Lauga', but asked the customs in Belgium, where the ship was en route, to inspect it. No drones were found there either. German investigation services have seen an increase in drone sightings over critical infrastructure, such as ports, chemical parks and military installations, for years. The German authorities have informed European investigative bodies of the events. The ships have been closely monitored since then. Both cargo ships were showing a striking behaviour. The ''HAV Dolphin' has spent a month in the port of Kaliningrad, Russia, near a naval base, and temporarily disabled the mandatory AIS during its journey. The 'Lauga' also did this during its journey across the North Sea. In addition, the cargo ship previously had visited the Russian naval base in Syria, which indicates possible ties with the Russian Ministry of Defence. The 'HAV Dolphin' left Rotterdam on May 16 and berthed in Papenburg on June 3. The 'Lauga' arrived in St. Petersburg, Russia, on June 4.

Lauga investigated in Zeebrugge for suspicion of launching spy drones

An incident involving spy drones occurred in the North Sea, when seven suspected Russian drones followed the patrol vessel 'Potsdam' (IMO: 9830018) of the Federal German Police for three hours. The patrol boat's task in the North Sea was to monitor the Russian "Lauga" en route to Zeebrugge, where it berthed on May 28, 205. The 'Potsdam' was monitoring it about 140 kilometers north of the island of Borkum. The drones followed the vessel for almost three hours. Federal police officers on the patrol vessel were unable to identify the type of drone, they only recognized the green and red navigation lights. The police boat's resources were insufficient to take photographs of the drones at night. It was initially suspected that the drones had been launched from the Russian freighter, but there was no evidence of this. In order to find out more about the suspected spy drones from Russia, the police officers on the ship contacted the Federal Police Directorate in Bad Bramstedt. They asked the authorities in Belgium to inspect the Russian ship in the port of Zeebrugge, however, no evidence of drone technology was found on board. The "Lauga" left the port again the same day, en route to St. Petersburg in Russia, with an EA as of June 2.

Russian cargo vessel refloated by Danish salvage ship

On Apr 16 at 5 a.m. the "Ivan Shchepetov" which was grounded southwest of Hundested was refloated by the "Susanne A" of the J.A. Rederiet in Horsens. The "Ivan Shchepetov" was now waiting five miles off the Isefjord approach to berth at Frederiksværk for discharge. The "Susanne A" proceeded back to Horsens. Danish report with photo: http://www.maritimedanmark.dk/?Id=18532