Image credit to: Paullawat / Shutterstock.com After several years of relative calm, piracy activity off Somalia has flared again since late October, with coordinated pirate action groups operating far offshore in the Somali Basin and adjacent Indian Ocean. The most serious event occurred on 6 November 2025, when the Malta flagged tanker HELLAS APHRODITE was fired upon and boarded approximately 560 nm southeast of Eyl. The crew followed contingency procedures and remained secured in the citadel. On the afternoon of 7 November, EU NAVFOR Operation ATALANTA forces, led by ESPS VICTORIA, executed a coordinated show of force; the pirates abandoned the tanker, and all 24 crew members were confirmed safe and uninjured. Authorities assessed the surrounding area’s threat level as critical and commenced an intensive search for the mothership dhow, believed to be supporting long range attacks. Subsequently, ATALANTA reported taking control of the dhow with support from regional partners, further disrupting the group’s operations.   Current threat picture  Industry analysis and official reporting indicate that pirates have retained the capability to operate 300–600 nm offshore, and under favourable conditions, up to ~800–1,000 nm.   This resurgence follows notable cases over 2023–2024 (including MV RUEN and MV ABDULLAH) and is occurring amid periods when regional naval assets are committed elsewhere (e.g., Red Sea tasking), creating windows of opportunity for long range operations. The International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has also highlighted a broader rise in incidents across 2025 and continues to stress the importance of crew safety and the need for consistent reporting.   What MISTO and BMP MS mean for voyage planning  The Maritime Industry Security Threat Overview (MISTO, 26 Nov 2025) provides a consolidated, factual description of prevailing maritime threats, including Somali pirates in the Northwest Indian Ocean, framed in terms of capability, inte