Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1535109
WWW.MALTATODAY.COM.MT WEDNESDAY EDITION €1.00 WEDNESDAY • 7 MAY 2025 • ISSUE 939 • PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY NICOLE MEILAK nmeilak@mediatoday.com.mt Were aid ship attack drones let off from Malta? SEE PAGE 7 SEE ALSO PAGES 5 & 6 Gaza Freedom Flotilla: Government will repair vessel out at sea THE Maltese government will carry out minor repairs on the vessel Conscience at its current anchorage outside territo- rial waters, following a maritime inspec- tion that found the ship seaworthy but in need of attention to sail to its next des- tination. In a statement on Tuesday, the gov- ernment said a maritime surveyor went aboard the vessel and carried out an in- spection. According to the government, the sur- veryor found that the vessel required mi- nor repairs. A number of compartments, including the ship's hull and engine room, were found in good or satisfactory condition and free from water ingress. Moreover, the two main engines, the two generators, the bow thrust and the fire extinguishers were operational. The government says the surveryor found enough food and drink for crew members to last for 30 days. Howev- er, the captain told the surveyor that a limited part of the food and drink sup- plies were for humanitarian purposes. Around 32 tonnes of fuel storage was found on board too. The government will carry out the most urgent repairs out at sea, meaning the vessel will not dock in Malta. The surveyor had indicated to the govern- ment that it is possible to carry out the repairs outside Malta's territorial wa- ters. Variable interest rate of 2.80% * Low contribution Low collateral requirements *Business Lending Bank Base Rate presently at 2.15%, Interest Margin and EIF Guarantee Fee. The BOV SME Grow and the BOV SME Grow Green are funded by the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund with the financial backing of the Republic of Malta under the InvestEU Member State Compartment for Malta. All loans are subject to normal bank lending criteria and final approval from the Bank. Issued by Bank of Valletta p.l.c., 58, Triq San Żakkarija, il-Belt Valletta, VLT 1130. Bank of Valletta p.l.c. is a public limited company regulated by the MFSA and is licenced to carry out the business of banking in terms of the Banking Act (Cap. 371 of the laws of Malta). Grow green BOV SME Supporting Your Vision CONTACT US THE two precision strikes sustained by a Gaza-bound aid ship just outside Maltese waters were very likely caused by loitering drones, according to a former senior military officer. The conclusion was made by Colonel Da- vid Attard, former deputy commander of the Armed Forces of Malta, after analysing image- ry shared by the crew of the Conscience. Sharing his reflections with MaltaToday, At- tard posits four possible scenarios from where such drones may have been launched follow- ing what appears to be a reconnaissance mis- sion by an Israeli air force plane hours before the strikes. The least likely possibility, given the pinpoint accuracy of the two strikes, is that the drones were launched directly from Israel. In anoth- er more worrying scenario, the drones would have been launched from Maltese land terri- tory, which would have been well within the range of such attack drones. The Conscience was anchored at Hurd's Bank, 14 Nautical miles from Malta. Another scenario would have seen the drones let off from a nearby vessel out at sea with the military aircraft acting as the spot- ter to confirm the location and identity of the Conscience. The fourth possible scenario is that the drones were launched from the military air- craft itself and left hovering in the area until the attack was activated several hours later. Attard says that loitering drones allow prop- er management of the timing of any attack thus help minimise collateral damage and of- fer the possibility of plausible deniability since they give perpetrators ample time to get away from the scene of the attack. The vessel destined for Gaza will not dock in Malta and will be repaired outside territorial waters after a maritime surveyor inspected the boat The humanitarian vessel Conscience was targeted in a suspected drone attack on Friday