British Marine Insurer’s Power - The British marine insurer Standard Club (a Protection and Indemnity Insurance Club) said it had withdrawn cover on commercial grounds from all the ships owned by Femco, a Russian cargo line, including the vessel; m.v. ALAED..   Just a routine announcement and one not worthy of wider comment you would think.   The Femco, vessel; m.v. ALAED was however carrying munitions destined for Syria including a cargo of Mi25 helicopters – known as "flying tanks" – from the Russian port of Kaliningrad, where they had been sent to the state owned manufacturer Mil's "Factory 150" for servicing and repairs. The helicopters were originally sold to the Syrian Government by Moscow, its major arms supplier, at the end of the Soviet era.

The Russian actions were denounced by the Americans in the strongest terms and the British Prime Minister ordered a Special Forces (SBS ?) response to the situation, (presumably an assault of the ship in the English Channel).     Instead a simple commercial action, the withdrawal of insurance cover, not of the ship or the cargo but in the ephemeral world of Protection and Indemnity, that saved the day and the risk attendant at any military operation.