Access the latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory for the week commencing 13th February 2023.

👉  Within the Black Sea poor weather conditions have led to a heightening of the threat of drifting sea mines. Within the last reporting period, Russia has also conducted its first use of a maritime drone in attacking the Zatoka bridge in the Odessa region. Maritime drones have featured in attacks by both Russia and Ukraine now and are likely to continue to be a key feature in how both states seek to press home tactical advantage within the maritime domain. At this stage there are no indications that such vessels will be used against commercial vessels within Ukrainian waters. Vessels participating in the UN brokered grain deal continue to be assessed to be operating at a significantly lower threat state to vessels within Ukrainian ports, not covered by the parameters of the deal.

👉  Beyond the Black Sea, events within Libya continue to see daily clashes between rival militants in the West of the country. Thus far such attacks remain remote from terminal and port locations, however such attacks continue to represent the continued fraught political process which threatens to drive Libya into a state of further insecurity.

👉  Within West Africa a RoRo vessels operating within the Calabar area is understood to have been approached. No further reporting exists on the nature of the approach however unofficial reports indicate the approach was piratical in nature. Despite the considerable reduction in offshore piracy and maritime crime, the maritime zones SE of Nigerian waters and those off Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea remain vulnerable due to a comparative lack of parity in maritime security resources between states.