Friday, January 09, 2026
Media Kit
Iranian Navy

Iranian Navy Frigates Leave Bandar Abbas as Protests in Iran Intensify

MORE TOP STORIES
cargo ship struck by drone

Seafarers Killed and Injured as Russia Strikes Two Ships Near Ukraine

Published Jan 9, 2026 2:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

Russian forces struck two cargo ships on Friday, January 9, killing one seafarer and injuring a second crewmember, according to Ukrainian officials. It comes as Ukraine continues to accuse Russia of “deliberately targeting civilian facilities, international shipping, and food logistics.” The attack on civilian shipping came after an overnight barrage, which was one of the largest in the four-year war, and only the second time Russia has used its Oreshnik hypersonic missiles. The hypersonic missile was first deployed in November...

Continue Reading...
tanker being seized by US forces

U.S. Seizes Fifth “Ghost Fleet” Tanker in the Caribbean

Published Jan 9, 2026 11:59 AM by The Maritime Executive

In what they are describing as a “re-dawn action,” U.S. forces boarded another shadow fleet tanker and took control of the vessel, which was in the Caribbean. It is the fifth tanker associated with the Venezuela oil trade that the Trump administration has seized, while reports said several other vessels are currently being tracked. The U.S. Marines, along with sailors from Joint Task Force Southern Spear, launched the seizure supporting the U.S. Coast Guard, which is reported to be in...

Continue Reading...
Whale

Dead Whale on Boxship's Bow Prompts Investigation

Published Jan 8, 2026 11:12 PM by The Maritime Executive

A small container ship arrived in Camden, New Jersey last week with a dead fin whale on the bulbous bow, and an investigation into the cause of death is under way. Late Sunday night, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay reported a deceased whale on the bow of a reefer boxship at the north end of the Gloucester City Marine Terminal, next to the Walt Whitman Bridge. NOAA and the nonprofit Marine Mammal Stranding Center (MMSC) were alerted, and MMSC tentatively...

Continue Reading...
A Coast Guard officer watches as the seizure of Bella 1 unfolds, January 7 (USCG)

After U.S. Seizes "Russian-Flagged" Tanker, Moscow Fumes

Published Jan 8, 2026 10:13 PM by The Maritime Executive

This week, the U.S. government captured its first vessel flying the colors of the Russian flag, much to Moscow's disappointment - and there may soon be a possibility for more. The New York Times is tracking 15 more shadow-fleet tankers that are attempting to flee the American "blockade" around Venezuela, all potentially targetable. At least one of these vessels (Veronica, IMO 9256860) has since chosen to fly the Russian flag, and her IMO number now appears on the Russian register...

Continue Reading...
FEATURED STORIES
BLOGS
PODCASTS
MORE STORIES BY CATEGORY

Offshore

Maersk WTIV

Maersk Offshore Wind’s Installation Vessel Completes Sea Trials

Maersk Offshore Wind and Seatrium reported that their under-construction massive offshore wind installation vessel has completed sea trials. The vessel’s delivery, however, is approaching as the future of the U.S. offshore wind industry for which it was designed remains uncertain. Seatrium reports that the vessel, which is approximately 475 feet (145 meters) in length, successfully completed its trials in the South China Sea. Both Maersk Offshore Wind and the vessel’s classification society participated in the trials. They are continuing to...

Continue Reading...

Shipbuilding

HavocAI

Hanwha Defense and HavocAI Team Up on Midsize Unmanned Vessels

Korean industrial conglomerate Hanwha has been expanding its portfolio of projects in the U.S. naval and defense space, and on Thursday it announced a new agreement with an American autonomous-vessel company to compete in the medium-sized unmanned warship space. The deal pairs Hanwha Defense USA and Hanwha Systems with HavocAI, a two-year-old startup run by two Navy veterans. Jointly, the firms will explore building a 200-foot-long autonomous surface vessel, and Hanwha Philly Shipyard is under consideration as the place of...

Continue Reading...

Environment

Coral

Researchers Say the Oceans Have Passed a Milestone for Acidification

[By Anna Napolitano] The past 12 months have been worrying for researchers who study the chemistry of the ocean. More and more evidence has been published showing that human activities are fundamentally altering this chemistry in an acidic direction. At the end of 2025, it seems clear ocean acidification is pushing the largest habitat on Earth into a risky zone. Ocean acidification is part of the global carbon cycle. When carbon dioxide dissolves in water, it forms carbonic acid. This...

Continue Reading...

Business

Hanwha Philly Shipbuilding drydock construction

Report: Hanwha Ocean Looks to Expand in US with Possible Second Shipbuilder

During an exclusive interview with The Wall Street Journal, an executive for Hanwha Defense said the company continues to actively discuss options to expand the Philly Shipyard operation, as well as possibly purchasing a second shipyard in the United States. The South Korean company, the exclusive report said, looks to increase capacity to realize the strong opportunities coming from the Trump administration. The article reports that Hanwha is already in “active conversation” with the Pentagon for potential deals. It cites...

Continue Reading...