Ships in Black Sea switch off transponders to avoid drone attacks
A Sierra Leone-flagged vessel carrying grain from the Ukrainian port of Reni to Egypt was sailing off the Bulgarian coast on 24 October with its tracking transponder switched off. The vessel’s name has not been disclosed for security reasons, Maritime.bg reports. During radio contact, Bulgaria’s Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) centre advised the officer on watch to activate the ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) to ensure safe navigation in Bulgaria’s territorial waters. The vessel replied that the system had been switched off at the explicit request of its insurer to reduce risks…
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