Loss Prevention Advice
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HIT (COURTESY OF SAFETY FOR SEA)
A Russian strike hit a Togolese-flagged cargo vessel while it was unloading mineral fertilisers at the Port of Odesa on 13 July, killing five people and injuring 10 others, Ukrainian officials said.
According to Odesa regional governor Oleh Kiper, the attack struck the vessel’s superstructure, triggering a fire. Among those killed were three foreign crew members, while two additional bodies were recovered by rescue teams as they worked to extinguish the blaze.
Furthermore, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister for Restoration and Minister for Communities and Territories Development, Oleksii Kuleba, said the injured crew members were taken to hospital for treatment. Kuleba condemned the incident as “another Russian strike against civilian shipping and Ukraine’s port infrastructure,” warning that attacks on merchant vessels threaten international navigation, global trade and food security.
The strike comes amid escalating maritime activity linked to the war. Ukraine’s Unmanned Systems Forces said they have targeted 105 vessels associated with Russia’s so-called shadow fleet in the Sea of Azov over the past eight days, including tankers, dry cargo ships, ferries and tugboats.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez has renewed calls for an immediate halt to attacks on civilian merchant shipping. He warned that ongoing geopolitical conflicts are placing seafarers, maritime safety and global supply chains at increasing risk and has urged all parties to respect international law and protect those working at sea.
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We have just received the below from one of our sources, whilst mainly focused around the recent SOH incidents, interesting to see the number of small craft operating in the GOA as we know a number of your clients operate in this region.
The activity certainly seems to be picking up.
SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY
Date: 13/07/2026
Location: Gulf of Aden
Vessel/s: BANIYAS – Oil products Tanker, Marshall Island, IMO 9838228.
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The Unlikely Side Effect: How western sanction packages affect the rise of theft of agricultural and construction-related machinery across Europe.
Introduction
In the recent years, theft of various types of specialized machinery has surged across the continent, leaving engineers, construction workers and farmers helpless. In this circular we would like to bring this rapidly developing problem to your attention.
Across the UK, Benelux and other Northwestern European countries, a staggering rise of theft of GPS units, tachymeters, copper cables as well as surveying instruments and other small and mid-sized equipment has been reported. The practice has become so widespread that it has to be recognized as no longer accidental but as a systemic and strategic threat to the industry. It forms a part of transnational, transborder organized crime targeting specifically this sort of equipment due to its high resale value and portability.
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Any merchant vessel or yacht needs a flag for that craft to be able to trade and be employed. In addition, most commercial vessels nowadays need to be classified by a Classification Society recognised by the flag state. Both flag and class are fundamental to how the global maritime and yachting industries operate. That is why, MSIG Specialty Marine would like to remind their clients of the importance of these two factors which play a crucial role in ensuring the safe and secure maritime world.
- Flag and flag states
The national flag (ensign) is usually found on the stern of a vessel. This is the largest flag when compared to other signal and communication flags that could be seen on board a ship.
According to international law, every state – whether coastal or landlocked – has the right to sail ships flying its national flag on the high seas.1 Every state can choose their own conditions and requirements for the registration of ships and for granting the right to fly its flag.2 Once a vessel has been registered in a flag state, it will acquire a Certificate of Registry, which is the most important legal document carried on board.
The Certificate is comparable to a passport for the ship and is evidence of registration.