Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 13h

But, always keen to crowdsource ideas - this is not a new issue, but it is one that could use new ideas. Let me know your thoughts!

insightcrime.org/news/under-r...

Under the Radar: What Hundreds of Narco Sub Seizures Tell Us About Global Cocaine Routes

A near-record number of narco submarines intercepted in 2024 show how drug traffickers use the vessels to deliver cocaine to new markets.

insightcrime.org

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 13h

informed by naval engineering, data science, knowledge from academia and industry, our growing experience in sensor platforms, and the advantage of fresh perspectives from our engineers we’re hopeful of rapidly getting tools into the hands of law enforcement. www.nzherald.co.nz/video/herald...

Takahē Mission secures space funding

Project lead Delwyn Moller joins Ryan Bridge to discuss one of three newly funded space projects. Video / Herald NOW

www.nzherald.co.nz

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 13h

Third narco sub washes up in the pacific ❄️🚤

I never thought these small low freeboard vessels would survive a pacific crossing, but here we are. Locating these small vessels in a vast ocean is challenging, but one Starboard.nz is already working at.

www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

'Made in Colombia' narco sub found floating in Solomon Islands

Cousins Reubenson and Martin Fugui found a 'Made in Colombia' narco sub in Solomon Islands over the weekend — the third such vessel found in the country's waters over the past year.

www.abc.net.au

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 2d

Good spotting - I’ve let the author know

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Reposted by Mark Douglas

The Insider @theins.press · 2d

Promised Danish crackdown on Russia’s “shadow fleet” means data gathering for sanctions, maritime analyst explains

The measures will not lead to tankers being stopped and will have little immediate impact on Moscow’s oil trade, says @maritimekiwi.bsky.social of Starboard Maritime Intelligence.

Promised Danish crackdown on Russia’s “shadow fleet” means data gathering for sanctions, maritime analyst explains

Danish authorities announced yesterday that they intend to tighten environmental oversight of oil tankers in the port of Skagen, through which thousands of vessels pass annually en route from the Balt...

theins.press

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 2d

That said, I’ll be interested to see what that does to the seemingly thriving Facebook marketplace for refined Russian products.

Reposted by Mark Douglas

Christian Panton @pa.nton.cx · 3d

Will Gambia become the new Benin of false flags?

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Reposted by Mark Douglas

The Kyiv Independent @kyivindependent.com · 3d

⚡️ Ukrainian drones hit largest oil terminal in Russian-occupied Crimea, sparking fire, media reports.

The terminal can hold up to 250,000 tons of fuel, which supplies Russian forces.

Ukrainian drones hit largest oil terminal in Russian-occupied Crimea, sparking fire, media reports

The terminal can hold up to 250,000 tons of fuel, which supplies Russian forces.

kyivindependent.com

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Reposted by Mark Douglas

RNZ News Feeds @rnzrss.bsky.social · 3d

'The job hasn't been completed' - Manawanui wreck still causing concerns one year after sinking

One year after HMNZS Manawanui hit a Samoan reef, locals say the compensation is needed.

www.rnz.co.nz

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 4d

@warshipcam.bsky.social et al, if you’re on FB or LinkedIn and not watching FivePowerDefenceArrangements.org Ex BERSAMA LIMA 2025 you’re missing out. The annual ex has seen a huge injection of capability with F-35s from the RAAF and UK CSG, alongside other aircraft, ships and land elements.

FPDA

The Five Power Defence Arrangements were established in 1971 through a series of bilateral exchanges of notes between Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom. The purpose o...

FivePowerDefenceArrangements.org

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 4d

@conorgallagher.bsky.social FYI

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 5d

🙋‍♂️ I was. I just wanted to say your work is amazing. Have you ever using something like Google My Maps to plot the movement of these vessels over time?

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Reposted by Mark Douglas

Christian Panton @pa.nton.cx · 5d

Following the interception of BORACAY / PUSHPA, two websites pretending to be the Benin Maritime Administration got removed from the Benin TLD (.bj). This was the websites that the false certificates pointed to.

This looks to me a lot like a government intervention

Happy to see my work pays off.

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Reposted by Mark Douglas

H I Sutton @covertshores.bsky.social · 5d

Impressive news that a Pr.21631 Buyan-M class missile corvette has been hit by Ukraine on Lake Onega, up north. Presumably by a strike drone (OWA-UAV)?

This ship can launch Kalibr cruise missiles.

Lake Onega is on the inland waterways connecting Baltic, Arctic, Caspian and Black Sea

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Reposted by Mark Douglas

Christian Panton @pa.nton.cx · 5d

60 false flagged vessels through the Danish Straits since we promised to stop them.

I talked to the Danish newspaper @ekstrabladet.dk who a story about the sad record, with “Blue” being number 60.

Så er den gal igen: Putins skyggeflåde stryger gennem danske farvande

Læs mere her

ekstrabladet.dk

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Peter Møller @pmolpmol.bsky.social · 6d

Shadow fleet tanker Pushpa a.k.a Boracay has left France.

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 6d

Reported destination changed from India to Suez Canal (although final destination is unlikely to have changed!). Thanks for all your updates and reporting @pmolpmol.bsky.social

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Sarah Kirchberger @sarahkirchberger.bsky.social · 7d

⚓️“French military personnel boarded the #Boracay, a Benin-flagged tanker.

The two crew members, the captain and his deputy, were arrested on charges of refusing to obey a summons and failing to justify the ship's nationality, according to the prosecutor's office.”

POLITICO Europe @politico.eu · 8d

The French military today arrested two crew members on a tanker suspected of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet, according to the local prosecutor's office.

French military arrests 2 crew on suspected Russian shadow fleet vessel

The tanker may have taken part in the drone incursions into Danish airspace last week, according to French reports.

www.politico.eu

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 7d

👏

maritime-executive.com/article/aust...

Australian Icebreaker Nuyina Resumes Commissioning After Year’s Delay

Australia’s futuristic icebreaker research ship for missions to the Antarctic returned home after a year-long delay for repair and maintenance. The ve...

maritime-executive.com

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 7d

Had the privilege of presenting to the NATO Maritime Security Centre of Excellence as part of their biennial Ex MARSEC. Even had a chance to show the BORACAY detention!

Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Istanbul. It looks like a great exercise, and a chance to vessel spot on the Bosphorus!

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 7d

That’s it??!! A Western European navy finally took action against a false flagged tanker. Granted that seems to be a happy byproduct but maybe this will lead to more. Although I said that in April as well…

@pa.nton.cx

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Christian Panton @pa.nton.cx · 7d

Breaking:

False flagged tanker Saraswati about to pass by Copenhagen and the EU summit.

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 8d

We can only 'see' the French Navy vessel for as long as it has its AIS on. It may have escorted it all the way to the anchorage but with its AIS off. But makes sense that a warship wouldn't hang around to guard the vessel - I'm confident the French military could quick stop an attempt to run.

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 8d

Further confirmation. Ish. Somehow they forgot to mention the motley crew of OSINT’ers that spotted it first: @vesselspotter.bsky.social, @pmolpmol.bsky.social, @pa.nton.cx, @claudialanz.bsky.social, @auonsson.bsky.social et al

maritime-executive.com/article/susp...

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Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 9d

@antongerashchenko.bsky.social There are signs that *maybe* if the problem of Russian-linked tankers break enough rules someone will do something bsky.app/profile/mari...

Mark Douglas @maritimekiwi.bsky.social · 10d

⚓ French Navy may have joined Estonia in acting against the shadow fleet.

On 27 Sept, tanker BORCAY (IMO 9332810) was approached by a ship identifying as a French Navy warship. The two sailed in close proximity before the Navy vessel dropped from tracking and BORCAY veered toward the coast.

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