The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued a warning confirming that a merchant vessel has been illegally boarded approximately 560 nautical miles southeast of Eyl, Somalia, in the Indian Ocean. The incident occurred in early hours of 6 November 2025, according to UKMTO. The vessel in question is the Malta-flagged tanker Hellas Aphrodite according to the maritime security specialists Vanguard Tech and Ambrey.
According to ShipAtlas, the Hellas Aphrodite was on its way from Sika to Durban.
The small craft is believed to be deployed from the previously hijacked Issamohahmdi, which has been linked to three previous attempted attacks, according to Splash. According to the UKMTO masters report the small craft approached from the stern before the assailants opened fire using small arms and RPGs. Unauthorised personnel then managed to board the tanker at position 02°05'N, 057°10'E. The vessel had no armed guards onboard, according to Vanguard.
UKMTO has urged all vessels in the region to maintain heightened vigilance, report suspicious activity, and adhere to established BMP5 transit procedures.
The attack comes just days after pirates fired on the chemical tanker Stolt Sagaland in an attempted hijacking some 330 nautical miles east of Mogadishu. That assault was repelled after the vessel’s armed security team returned fire, forcing the attackers to retreat.
In recent months, multiple warnings have been issued about the reemergence of organised Pirate Action Groups (PAGs) operating from mother vessels in the western Indian Ocean. Analysts note that the renewed pattern of attacks, including incidents involving heavy weaponry which mirrors tactics seen during the height of Somali piracy between 2008 and 2011.
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