Access the latest Triton Scout Maritime Security Threat Advisory for the week commencing 5th September 2022.

👉 In the Black Sea, as of 4 September, 87 vessels have departed Ukrainian ports under the grain deal. On 31 August, grain silos at Mykolaiv port were hit by Russian shelling causing a fire. Whilst vessels have been able to successfully transit the humanitarian corridor without compromise of security, Russia is likely to continue its attacks on onshore grain silos and supply chains prior to port arrival. 

👉 In the Persian Gulf, on 29 August, the US Navy pre- vented an IRGCN attempt to seize a US Navy operated unmanned surface vessel. The IRGCN attempted to detain the US vessel on the basis that it was illegally operating in the region, under the cover of research, and was endangering shipping operations. This is the latest in the tit-for-tat incidents characteristic of the regional geopolitical conflict between US, Iran, Israel, and their allies. The incident is likely motivated by the current JCPOA negotiations and US airstrikes against Iranian-backed militias in Syria.

👉 In Libya, there were clashes between Libyan armed factions on the western outskirts of Tripoli in Wasrshafala, as GNU allied forces further consolidated their power over the capital. Witness reports indicate that mortars were fired over the course of the fighting on 2-3 of September. This follows deadly clashes the previous week. Clashes are militia-based, short and targeted and primarily centralised to the outskirts of the city. There are no indications that there is an immediate threat to port infrastructure. General Haftar claimed that he will not provide support to Bashagha to seize the Capital, limiting Bashagha’s capabilities to launch an assault. 

👉 Nigeria has successfully jailed 23 persons for Piracy under the Suppression of Piracy and Other Maritime Offence Act (SPOMO). There are indications that the International Maritime organisation is set to urge twenty-five countries in West and Central Africa to adopt the SPOMO act which would enable the trial of piracy cases within the African sub-region irrespective of the country the crime was committed in.