Russia’s Federal Security Service said magnetic mines were found on the hull of the gas tanker Arrhenius after the vessel arrived at the Russian port of Ust-Luga in the Leningrad region from Antwerp.
Divers inspecting the ship found the mines had been manufactured “in one of the NATO countries,” the Investigative Committee said. FSB officers, working with the Defense Ministry and the Russian National Guard, defused the devices. The Investigative Committee added that the mines could not have been placed on the hull while the vessel was in Russian territorial waters.
The tanker arrived at Ust-Luga on May 20 to take on cargo and was scheduled to sail onward to the Turkish port of Samsun. During questioning of the ship’s agent, investigators learned the vessel had arrived in Russia several days behind schedule.
Investigators opened a criminal case on charges of attempted terrorism and illegal trafficking of explosive devices.
Ust-Luga is a key Russian port on the Baltic Sea and the main maritime hub for oil exports in western Russia. In the spring of 2026, Ukrainian drones repeatedly attacked the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk in the Leningrad Region. They temporarily suspended operations.
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