The user on whose account the problem was detected:
Oroborus

Coordinates:
[1111:815:2] (⌀17)

Date or time of the incident (according to server time):
I select to copy the property data from the fleets themselves:
Your fleet 24
, started from coordinates [1111:815:2] 29 Jul 2026 20:41:27 (Server time) sent to coordinates [1111:815:2] with order Recycling (0 metal, 0 minerals, 0 Vespene) will reach its target in 29 Jul 2026 20:55:07 (Server time)
Your fleet 1
, started from coordinates [1111:815:2] 29 Jul 2026 23:12:30 (Server time) sent to coordinates [1111:815:2] with order Recycling (0 metal, 0 minerals, 0 Vespene) will reach its target in 29 Jul 2026 23:19:49 (Server time)
Description:
In fact, it seem the actions described are not entirely correct. The fleet #24 was send from [1111:815:2] (⌀17) to my colony at [1111:815:2] with mission "Transport" where I sendt mostly metal and some minerals. When it returned it was supposed to merge again with the recycling fleet but got stuck. I did not realize this until after the second fleet (1) got stuck. That fleet was sent from the same [1111:815:2] (⌀17) with mission "Defense" for 12h at [1112:814:1] and did a free flight before I manually recalled it.

Actions required to repeat the problem:
Unknown if it will repeat? It somewhat did twice here, but normally this has worked without any issues.

Screenshot:

Upper line - original recycling fleet.
Middle line: - first transport fleet transport resources (should have merged with original fleet but did not)
Lower line: - defense mission with free flight before manual return (should have merged with original fleet but did not)

It stems from untested implementation of this:
makaralex92
07/29/2026 09:49:51 AM
In high orbit, fleets of the same player with the same order merge only if one fleet is sent directly to the other. If sent to high orbit without selecting a fleet, merging does not occur

Untested bug or intentional - it does not matter. I don't really see the intention of this change, it really feel like a bug, but I bet it will be argued that it was intentional despite:
1) the fleet that was unable to "recycle" returned and created a "new" "recycle" mission getting stuck since the it had no fuel to even move to merge with the original fleet at the very same location.
2) the consequence sooner or later will result in impossible to resolve lock of all fleets for likely new players with few fleet slots since ships on "recycle" missions may not be "dismissed" unlike ships on "Defense" mission.
3) the dialog under "properties" on the flight with return does NOT list correct information about the flight. It did not even state one had been on a "Transport" and the other on a "Defense" mission as seen in the copied text from "Properties"
It state: sent to coordinates [1111:815:2] with order Recycling - Not true. So at lest this is a bug, if the rest is intentional or not. It was close to the first thing I checked when the fleet got stuck.

The development team may for sure change rules for "balance" without explaining what they intend to accomplish. I have assumptions as to what the objective might have been, but if it was, I doubt this change solved anything?
Anyway - this time I was lucky and managed to get a free fleet slot, then send a ship capable of "recycling" mission with fuel and thus make the stuck fleet able to move again. I can absolutely see it being possible to get every slot "locked up", so if this was intended - the developers must at a minimum allow "dismiss" orders for fleets on "recycling" missions - else it will lock up for a new player without even HC enough to file a bug report...

They also need to fix the message under fleet "Properties" as the text of what the mission the fleet was on is incorrect.