Russia claims discovery of magnetic mines on tanker in Ust-Luga port
Kyiv • UNN
Magnetic mines allegedly of NATO manufacture were reportedly found on the tanker Arrhenius in the port of Ust-Luga. The Alliance has denied these accusations and any involvement in the incident.
The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation claimed to have discovered several magnetic mines on the tanker Arrhenius in the Russian port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
According to the Russian side's version, the explosive devices were allegedly discovered by divers during an inspection of the hull of the vessel, which had arrived from Antwerp, Belgium, to load liquefied petroleum gas. Svetlana Petrenko, a spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, stated that the mines were "manufactured by a NATO country." Meanwhile, NATO rejected these accusations.
"NATO has not mined any tanker,"
Russia has tightened vessel inspections following a series of incidents
Russia stated that the Arrhenius entered Ust-Luga on May 20 and was scheduled to head to the Turkish port of Samsun. According to the LSEG ship tracking system, the tanker flies the Liberian flag and is managed by the UAE-based company Maple Mariner.
Following a series of suspected acts of sabotage, Russia has tightened security measures in its ports and vessel inspections. Specifically, in 2024, authorities ordered divers to regularly inspect tankers after several incidents involving oil vessels. In February 2025, the tanker Koala ran aground in Ust-Luga following an explosion in the engine room.