Hizir-Reis

The Italian authorities have detained the 'Hizir Reis' after its arrival the port of Brindisi on Dec 10, 2025, on suspicion of breaching EU sanctions against Russia, following irregularities linked to a shipment of about 33,000 tonnes of iron ore. The detention was carried out by the Guardia di Finanza in cooperation with customs officials, after inspections revealed serious inconsistencies, falsifications and alterations to the onboard documentation relating to the locations of stops and loading operations. The vessel, which had sailed from Russian territorial waters in the Black Sea, came under scrutiny by Italian authorities for violating EU Regulation 833/2014, which imposes strict prohibitions on the import of goods and commercial operations with strategic ports of the Russian Federation. The measure, already validated by the investigating judge and confirmed by the Court of Review, is part of the sanctions package adopted by Brussels in response to the Russian war against Ukraina. At the heart of the investigation, coordinated by the Brindisi Prosecutor's Office, were serious allegations of tampering with onboard systems, the aim of which was to conceal the ship's true route. The investigators from the Naval Aviation Department have confirmed that the crew deliberately deactivated the AIS system and the GPS transponder near the Russian port of Novorossiysk. This maneuver, typical of so-called "ghost fleets" attempting to evade international surveillance, would have been intended to make the vessel invisible to radar during loading operations, thus avoiding official geolocation by the competent authorities. The discrepancies were not limited to electronic signals but also involved the systematic falsification of onboard documentation. Despite the captain's reassuring statements upon arrival in Italy, the technical analysis of data extracted from the ECDIS system, the mandatory electronic logbook, categorically refuted the official version. The results confirmed that the vessel had called at and operated in the port of Novorossiysk between Nov 13 and 16, 2025, an area expressly subject to European restrictions. The entire affair led to the importer, the ship owner, and several crew members being placed on a suspect register, accused of conspiracy to circumvent EU restrictive measures. The attempt to obstruct controls by disconnecting tracking devices and using falsified was a direct challenge to the effectiveness of the EU sanctions regime. While the vessel and its cargo of iron ore remained detaubed, the investigations continued to determine the extent of the logistical network that enabled this attempted commercial infiltration, without prejudice to the presumption of innocence of all parties involved until the judicial investigation has been concluded. The crew members was also under investigation and have been interrogated. The captain had given statements with the aim of misleading Italian officials while his ship was being inspected. The ship itself was also under investigation for supposed structural condition issues, which were discovered during a port state control inspection. Reports with photo and video: https://es.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/01/17/embargo-de-un-buque-en-brindisi-por-violar-las-sanciones-contra-rusia https://www.bairdmaritime.com/security/incidents/piracy/video-italian-authorities-seize-cargo-ship-for-alleged-attempts-to-evade-eu-sanctions

The Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor opened the 2014 international shipping season on Thursday with the arrival of the M/V Isolda and the M/V Federal Nakagawa. Both ships carried steel from Ijmuiden, Holland, destined for Midwest manufacturers and were being unloaded by port stevedore Federal Marine Terminals with local workers from the International Longshoremen's Association and International Union of Operating Engineers. “Our port is open year-round to river barges and lake vessels depending upon ice conditions, but the arrival of the first ocean vessel signifies the start of the international shipping season,” Rick Heimann, port director at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor, said in a statement released on Thursday. “The first ships not only bring important cargoes for local businesses and jobs for dockworkers, but also symbolize that Northwest Indiana's gateway to the world is once again open for business.” The Cyprus-flagged Isolda, a 653-foot bulk carrier built in 1999, stopped in Cleveland before coming to the Port of Indiana. The vessel is skippered by Capt. Arkadiusz Sienkiewicz from Poland and manned by a 23-person crew. The Isolda was also the first ship of the season in 2007. The Federal Nakagawa was built in 2005. The 21-person crew, led by Capt. Rizwan Abdullah Mammoo, hails from India and Sri Lanka. The Hong Kong-flagged vessel also stopped in Cleveland and will next head to Milwaukee.