Under protection of EUNAVFOR Aspides, the burning tanker MV Sounion has been towed to a safe area without any oil spill. While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, Aspides will continue to monitor the situation.
On August 21, the Sounion came under Houthi attack in the South Red Sea area and lost its engine power. Following a request from the master, the EUNAVFOR Aspides operation dispatched a ship in order to rescue the crew.
While approaching the area, the naval vessel destroyed an unmanned surface vessel (USV) that posed an imminent threat to the ship and the crew. All on board the MV Sounion were subsequently rescued and were transported to Djibouti, the nearest safe port of call.
On August 23, the vessel was on fire as the result of an attack by an unknown source, posing a significant environmental threat due to the 150.000 tonnes of crude oil on board, which could lead to a severe ecological disaster with potentially devastating effects on the region’s biodiversity. The ship has, however, remained anchored until the salvage operation commenced and so far, there has not been an oil spill.
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Salvage
The salvage of the MV Sounion was a complex operation and consisted of various phases, but was deemed necessary to prevent an environmental disaster. The salvage was carried out by several public and private actors working together. Upon request, EUNAVFOR Aspides agreed to provide protection to the tugboats involved in the salvage.
On 15 September, Aspides announced that the tugboats had been able to successfully connect to the vessel and that the towing of the Sounion to a safe location was in progress. The Sounion was still on fire during the salvage. On 16 September, the Sounion had successfully been towed to a safe area under protection of Aspides.
So far, there has still not been any oil spill. While private stakeholders complete the salvage operation, ASPIDES will continue to monitor the situation.
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Aspides
The European Union’s Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Operation Aspides is an EU defensive maritime security operation under the EU Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). It was launched on 19 February 2024 to contribute to the freedom of navigation in the area of operation and the safe passage of merchant vessels following multiple attacks on ships in the Red Sea area.
Picture (top): Tow lines being attached to the Sounion (by EUNAVFOR Aspides).
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