Maritime notes: Russia, Nigeria, Greece, etc.

A few comments on what’s going on at sea.

Nigeria, Russia, and a private-security ship

Earlier this month, Nigerian authorities seized a ship operated by the Moran Security Group.  In the usual manner, the ship, M/V Myre Seadiver, is flagged by the Cook Islands, was built in Norway in the 1960s, was Norwegian owned and flagged for most of its life, and is now owned and operated by Moran Security Group in Moscow.  The entire crew, according to media reporting, is Russian.  The ship is accused of arms trafficking.

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Peace in our time: Asian Navies converging on the Mediterranean

While Russia’s “interfleet naval task force” tootles around the Eastern Mediterranean making like it doesn’t know from Syria, China and India have joined the naval game in the Eastern Med.  Both have a regular naval presence off the coast of Somalia, and each has dispatched its most recent antipiracy task group – now relieved on-station – to conduct port visits in the Med.  The Chinese units are visiting ports in the Black Sea as well.