Latest news with #Seajewel
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Limpet mines likely caused blasts on two tankers in Mediterranean Sea, sources say
By Renee Maltezou, Yannis Souliotis and Jonathan Saul ATHENS (Reuters) - Mines attached to the hulls of ships and set off with timers likely caused blasts that have damaged two crude oil tankers in the Mediterranean Sea since January, three sources close to the investigation said on Monday. At least five vessels have been damaged, including explosions on the Greek-managed tankers Seacharm and Seajewel which Reuters reported last week. The incidents have raised concerns of a new security threat in the typically safe waters of the Mediterranean, just as the shipping industry is dealing with attacks in the busy Red Sea route. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. It is not clear who is responsible for the alleged attacks. The vessels had recently called at Russian ports, according to ship tracking data and sources. The cause of the damage to the vessels is being investigated by Greek and Italian authorities. The location of the blasts on the vessels' hulls, the type of blast and other evidence suggest limpet mines, said the sources who had knowledge of the matter but who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Strong indications suggest that BPM 1 or BPM 2-type limpet mines were used," one of the sources said. The source was referring to explosives used on the Searcharm and Seajewel, which were damaged in the Mediterranean in January and February. Two other sources said the damage on one of the tankers, the Seacharm, was consistent with an explosive device such as a limpet mine. Separately, two maritime security sources also pointed at limpet mines being behind the blasts on both tankers, based on the damage and their own assessments. Judicial authorities in Italy said they did not have permission to comment while the investigation is underway. A spokesperson for Athens-based Thenamaris, which owns and operates the Searcharm and Seajewel, referred questions to Greek and Italian authorities overseeing the investigation. Limpet mines are named after the disk-shaped sea snail that clamps onto rocks. The mines are attached to ships with magnets and usually contain TNT (trinitrotoluene) explosives that are triggered with a timer, one of the sources said. Greece's coastguard and armed forces are investigating the cause of the blast on the Seacharm off Turkey. The armed forces were asked to examine the type of explosive used, based on a sample of the debris, a military source said. Italian prosecutors have launched a terrorism investigation into the Seajewel incident. Maritime security sources have not ruled out intentional damage for these and others tankers recently hit by blasts, including the Koala, damaged in the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga this month and the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which sank off Spain in December after reporting an explosion.
Reuters
24-02-2025
- Reuters
Limpet mines likely caused blasts on two tankers in Mediterranean Sea, sources say
ATHENS, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Mines attached to the hulls of ships and set off with timers likely caused blasts that have damaged two crude oil tankers in the Mediterranean Sea since January, three sources close to the investigation said on Monday. At least five vessels have been damaged, including explosions It is not clear who is responsible for the alleged attacks. The vessels had recently called at Russian ports, according to ship tracking data and sources. The cause of the damage to the vessels is being investigated by Greek and Italian authorities. The location of the blasts on the vessels' hulls, the type of blast and other evidence suggest limpet mines, said the sources who had knowledge of the matter but who spoke on condition of anonymity. "Strong indications suggest that BPM 1 or BPM 2-type limpet mines were used," one of the sources said. The source was referring to explosives used on the Searcharm and Seajewel, which were damaged in the Mediterranean in January and February. Two other sources said the damage on one of the tankers, the Seacharm, was consistent with an explosive device such as a limpet mine. Separately, two maritime security sources also pointed at limpet mines being behind the blasts on both tankers, based on the damage and their own assessments. Judicial authorities in Italy said they did not have permission to comment while the investigation is underway. A spokesperson for Athens-based Thenamaris, which owns and operates the Searcharm and Seajewel, referred questions to Greek and Italian authorities overseeing the investigation. Limpet mines are named after the disk-shaped sea snail that clamps onto rocks. The mines are attached to ships with magnets and usually contain TNT (trinitrotoluene) explosives that are triggered with a timer, one of the sources said. Greece's coastguard and armed forces are investigating the cause of the blast on the Seacharm off Turkey. The armed forces were asked to examine the type of explosive used, based on a sample of the debris, a military source said. Italian prosecutors have launched a terrorism investigation into the Seajewel incident. Maritime security sources have not ruled out intentional damage for these and others tankers recently hit by blasts, including the Koala, damaged in the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga this month and the Russian cargo ship Ursa Major, which sank off Spain in December after reporting an explosion.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Explosions strike three tankers in Mediterranean in February: all had prior stops in Russian ports, Reuters reports
Three oil tankers that had previously called at Russian ports have been struck by explosions in the Mediterranean Sea over the past month. Source: Reuters Details: These incidents mark the first time in decades that non-military vessels have been damaged by explosions in the central Mediterranean. The first explosion took place on 15 February aboard the Greek tanker Seajewel while it was docked at a port in northern Italy. The blast left a metre-long hole in the hull below the waterline. A second explosion followed 20 minutes later on the same vessel but did not cause further damage. The Italian prosecutor's office has opened an investigation into the incident. Another vessel operated by Thenamaris, the oil tanker Seacharm, was also damaged by an explosion near the Turkish Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. In a third incident in February, the Liberian-flagged chemical and product tanker Grace Ferrum sustained damage off the Libyan coast. Notably, the causes of the incidents are still unknown. All three vessels had recently called at Russian ports, according to ship tracking data. Background: Two explosions occurred on the moored oil tanker Seajewel in the city of Savona, northern Italy. Ukrainska Pravda found that the vessel had been transporting Russian oil to Europe in violation of sanctions. Read more: Russia continues to ship oil directly to the EU despite sanctions, investigation finds Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Italy prosecutors open terrorism probe into oil tanker explosion
MILAN (Reuters) - Italian prosecutors have opened a terrorism investigation over an explosion last weekend that damaged an oil tanker anchored off the coast of northern Italy, the chief prosecutor of the city of Genoa said on Thursday. Two explosions caused a 70 x 120 centimetre (28 x 47 inch) breach below the waterline on the hull of the Greek-operated crude oil tanker Seajewel, when it was anchored on Saturday off the port of Savona-Vado on Italy's north-western coast. Three oil tankers have been damaged by blasts in the last month in separate incidents around the Mediterranean, with the causes unknown. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. All three vessels had recently called at Russian ports, according to ship tracking data and sources. "We took over the black box, the ship was not seized," Genoa chief prosecutor Nicola Piacente told Reuters in reference to Saturday's explosion in Italy. The anti-terrorism section of Genoa's Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating suspected "shipwreck aggravated by terrorist intent," he said.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
Italian, Greek authorities investigating incidents with two Greek tankers
LONDON/ATHENS (Reuters) - Italian and Greek authorities are investigating two separate incidents involving tankers that were damaged in January and February, the vessels' Athens-based operator Thenamaris said. Thenamaris said on Wednesday the Seajewel tanker had suspended routine cargo operations on February 15 and that there had been "no harm to the environment as a result of the incident". Italian prosecutors have opened a terrorism investigation over an explosion over the weekend that damaged the Seajewel, which was anchored off the coast of northern Italy, the chief prosecutor of the city of Genoa said on Thursday. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Thenamaris said on Thursday separately that Greek authorities were investigating what happened with the Seacharm, in an incident which took place in January. "The vessel (Seacharm) is currently undertaking normal operations," Thenamaris said.
