The tanker was intercepted by the French Navy on 12 October, approximately 450 nautical miles south of Réunion, over suspicions of operating under a false flag.

On 15 October, the vessel arrived at La Possession anchorage under French naval escort.

The captain was placed in police custody at 07:55 local time. French investigators subsequently searched the vessel.

The investigation concerns the captain’s alleged failure to establish the vessel’s nationality during an inspection at sea.

The tanker had previously been damaged in a naval drone attack approximately 70 nautical miles southwest of Novorossiysk on July 14. The attack reportedly caused an explosion, fire, engine-room flooding and loss of electrical power

The unmanned vessel, Seahawk, is operating alongside the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) Carrier Strike Group, which is currently crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao confirmed the deployment on October 14, describing the unmanned vessel as a force multiplier.

Key facts:

Vessel: Seahawk, Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface Vessel (MDUSV).
Manufacturer: Leidos.
Length: approximately 42 metres (137 feet).
Displacement: approximately 145 tons.
Design: unmanned trimaran capable of extended autonomous operations.
Carrier: USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71).
Strike group: Carrier Strike Group 9.
Deployment: Pacific Ocean, with the carrier group expected to proceed toward the Middle East.

Previous operations: Seahawk participated in the 2026 RIMPAC exercise and earlier Navy trials.

Fleet status: Seahawk transitioned from an experimental platform into the Navy fleet in April 2026

Cocaine seized: 29,600 pounds (13.4 metric tons).
Marijuana seized: 3,355 pounds (1.52 metric tons).
Total estimated value: $226.7 million.
Number of interdictions: Six.
Primary vessel: USCGC Tampa (WMEC-902).
Operating area: Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Offloading location: Port Everglades, Florida.
Date: October 14, 2026

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy claims the vessel struck a naval mine while navigating what it described as an unauthorized and dangerous route.

However, maritime security sources and Singapore’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) reported that the ship was struck by an unidentified projectile. The cause of the sinking has not been independently established

Estimated project cost: $44.5–54.5 billion.

Planned LNG export capacity: 20 million tonnes annually.

Pipeline length: approximately 807 miles (1,299 km).

Planned export markets: Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and other Asian countries.

The broader package also includes $120 billion for eight nuclear power plants and $22.3 billion for a natural gas power facility in Texas.

South Korea has not confirmed a binding $54 billion investment commitment.

The project remains subject to financing and final investment decisions

October 13, 2026
CHELSEA 3 (IMO 9361392)
Flag: Malta
Type: General cargo vessel
Length: 136 metres
Ukrainian-owned
Voyage: Giresun, Türkiye → Giurgiulești, Moldova
Attacked by three aerial drones approximately 18 nautical miles east of Byala.
Drones reportedly struck the deck and hull.
All 15 crew members rescued: seven Ukrainians and eight Azerbaijanis.
Five crew members received medical treatment for minor injuries.
Vessel sustained damage and was reported listing.

HS DIGNITY
Flag: Guinea-Bissau
Type: Cargo vessel
Destination: Brăila, Romania
Attacked approximately 17 nautical miles east of Krapets, near the Romanian border.
Vessel sank following the attack.
Five crew members reportedly rescued.
Eleven seafarers reported missing.

October 6, 2026

ALFA WATAN (IMO 7510884)
Flag: Togo
Type: General cargo vessel
Attacked approximately 70 nautical miles east of Byala.
Sustained critical structural damage and sank.
All 12 Syrian crew members reported missing.
Search-and-rescue operations were subsequently suspended.

ABLE (IMO 9001136)
Flag: Palau
Type: General cargo vessel
Cargo: Wheat
Attacked by drones approximately 70 nautical miles east of Byala.
Vessel sustained damage and caught fire.
All 18 crew members rescued.
Two sailors injured.
Bulgarian ferry DIOSCURIA (IMO 7931997) participated in the rescue operation

New Multi-Mission Dry Dock designed for Gerald R. Ford-class and Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, as well as nuclear-powered submarines.

Existing piers, wharves, workshops and support facilities will be demolished, relocated or replaced.
Construction includes dredging, new crane systems, electrical infrastructure, utility tunnels and waterfront improvements.

Preliminary demolition is planned for 2027, with major dry dock construction targeted for 2030.
Target completion: 2038.

The shipyard employs approximately 15,000 people.
The redevelopment forms part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP).

The oil tanker EVER VICT has been hit and is now drifting, as it is no longer under command.

Found something unusual at sea?

Share what you're investigating and let the community help.

WHAT ARE YOU INVESTIGATING?

• Suspicious or unusual vessel movements

• AIS gaps, anomalies or unexpected behavior

• Ship-to-ship transfers

• Vessel identity or ownership questions

• Sanctions-related maritime activity

• Maritime incidents

• Interesting vessels found on MarineTraffic, VesselFinder or satellite imagery

• Other maritime activity that deserves a closer look

SHARE WHAT YOU KNOW

Post the vessel name / IMO when known, location, timeframe and what caught your attention. Links, screenshots, AIS observations, vessel history, photographs and other public-source evidence are welcome.

ASK THE COMMUNITY

Stuck on something? Ask other members to help find additional public records, vessel history, photographs, port information, AIS observations or other open-source evidence.

KEEP IT OSINT

Use lawful, publicly available information only. Do not share private personal information or request non-public tracking of individuals.

What are you investigating this week?

Location: Indian Ocean, over 450 nautical miles south of Réunion Island 🇫🇷
Date: 12 October 2026
Operation: Boarding by French naval forces
Vessel status: Reportedly subject to sanctions and linked to Russian shipping interests
The legal basis for the boarding, the vessel’s cargo, and whether the tanker was detained or permitted to continue its voyage have not yet been independently verified