Access the latest Maritime Security Threat Advisory for the week commencing 21st November 2022.
👉 Within Ukraine the UN brokered Grain initiative has been extended by an additional 4 months without objection. Russia continues to demand greater fertilizer exports as part of its continued participation. Un- confirmed reporting indicated the Ukrainian continues to seek to use the maritime domain to launch attacks on Russian forces with reports emerging of an explosion at the Russian Navy base at Novorossiysk.
👉 Within the northern Indian Ocean area, the M/T Pacific Zircon reported an explosion at the stern area whilst in transit southbound offshore Oman. Whilst unconfirmed, the narrative of the incident significantly lends itself to the assessment of Iranian involvement. Such attacks dominated the Indian Ocean maritime security narrative within 2021, with multiple vessels associated with both Iran and Israel targeted. Vessels unconnected with either state are not assessed to be exposed to an increase in risk profile throughout the region.
👉 There have been a spate of incidents involving the boarding and robbery of vessels within both the east and westbound TTS in Singapore. Vessels continue to be target in transit by multiple perpetrators. Incidents appear to be focused but not exclusively around the targeting of barges towing scrap metal.