🎙 New episode live of the SynMax Intelligence Podcast Insurance at Sea: Sanctions, Sabotage & Maritime Risk Mike Salthouse joins Eric Anderson to unpack: • Sabotage & undersea threats • The real role of P&I Clubs • Sanctions, spoofing & legal fog • The next frontier in

Early analysis suggests that Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project is resuming exports. The US-sanctioned LNG carrier IRIS (IMO: 9953523) has arrived at the terminal escorted by icebreakers, marking the IRIS’s first voyage to Arctic LNG 2 and signaling a restart in dark

Demonstrating the evolving complexity of sanctions evasion tactics in modern maritime operations, dark Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) JELA (formerly VANITY- IMO 9371608) and GLOBAL HARVEST (IMO 9290775) recently spoofed their AIS locations and conducted a dark STS transfer

In a significant first, the IRIS (IMO 9953523), a 293-meter, Russian-flagged LNG tanker built in 2024, has visited Russia's sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 plant. This marks the vessel's maiden call to the facility and likely the terminal's first cargo shipment of 2025. The vessel's

Once again, three Chinese 'jack-up' barges have been detected and imaged by SynMax’s maritime domain awareness platform, Theia, this time conducting exercises at Dasha Bay, Xiangshan, China. Theia detected two of the barges departing Guangzhou Shipyard on the 22nd of June. By

In their first attack on commercial shipping since December 2024, on the 6th of July, the Houthis targeted and sank the MAGIC SEAS (IMO 9736169), a 199-meter Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, in the Red Sea following a coordinated attack. SynMax's maritime domain awareness

The ETERNITY C (IMO 9588249), a 186-meter Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, has tragically become the second vessel to sink in the Red Sea within a week following a coordinated Houthi attack, with crew members still missing and search operations continuing. The vessel has a history

The MITZEL (IMO 9233741), a 274-meter, Comoros-flagged Suezmax tanker with a complex history of name changes and flag-hopping, recently delivered sanctioned oil from Russia to Syria, attempting to avoid international oversight by systematically spoofing her AIS. The vessel,

While absence of evidence is not evidence of absence we have scanned all of Loch Ness using Umbra SAR strip map mode and Nessie was not present. Perhaps visiting other monster hangouts.

The bulk carrier BERGE TAI SHAN (IMO 9675937) was captured by SynMax’s maritime domain awareness platform, Theia, in heavy sea ice in the Bohai Sea in January 2024, as she transited from Port Hedland, Australia, to Bayuquan, China. Between the 22nd and 29th of January, Theia’s

The ARCTIC METAGAZ (IMO 9243148), a 277-meter Russian-flagged LNG carrier with an extensive history of identity changes, has completed a sanctioned cargo loading operation at Russia's floating LNG terminal in the Barents Sea. The third vessel to collect cargo so far this year

The ZHE DAI YU YANG 60001 (IMO 9086954), formerly the GUO DIAN 22, has completed her conversion from a 1996-built Panamax bulker into what officials describe as the world's largest ocean-going aquaculture vessel. SynMax's maritime domain awareness platform, Theia, tracked the

Chinese and Russian naval exercises have commenced in the Sea of Japan. SynMax's maritime domain awareness platform, Theia, captured comprehensive imagery of the Joint Sea-2025 naval operations on the 3rd of August, 2025. Theia detected multiple vessel types across the exercise

The SOHO SQUARE (IMO 9505819), a 13-year-old, 249-meter Liberian-flagged Suezmax tanker, has completed a complex Mediterranean operation involving ship-to-ship transfers and extended AIS dark activity. SynMax's maritime domain awareness platform, Theia, tracked the vessel's

The FU RONG SONG (IMO 9608817), a 180-meter Singapore-flagged bulk cargo and heavy-lift vessel operated by COSCO Shipping, has recently completed a strategic military cargo delivery from China to West Africa, a case study exemplifying the evolving nature of China-Africa defense

Introducing Theia's new #SpotlightVessel series—showcasing some of the most fascinating and unique vessels we have detected using our revolutionary maritime domain awareness (#MDA) platform. Every day, Theia automatically analyzes more than 27 million km² of satellite imagery to

Between late July and mid-August 2025, the ZHU HAI YUN (IMO 9947055), China's first autonomous drone mothership, conducted a systematic transit through the disputed South China Sea's #SpratlyIslands. #SynMax's maritime domain awareness platform, #Theia, detected and tracked the