Marine regiment: the Russian Navy has strengthened the protection of merchant ships

The Russian Navy has strengthened control over vessels carrying out cargo transportation in the interests of the Russian Federation, said Nikolai Patrushev, assistant to the President, Chairman of the Maritime Board. According to him, instructions have been developed on the operational interaction of ship owners and operators with the administrations of seaports in the Azov-Black Sea basin and the Baltic Sea zone. Maritime cargo transportation is extremely important for the Russian economy, especially for export industries, and the risks of Western attacks are increasing. Experts believe that Moscow has a wide range of military and diplomatic measures to protect its maritime trade.

How will the Russian Federation protect merchant ships from attacks

The Russian Navy ensures the safety of Russian shipping, in particular, increased control over vessels carrying out cargo transportation in the interests of our country, said on March 25, Assistant to the President, Chairman of the Maritime Board Nikolai Patrushev at a meeting of the body.

"Instructions have been developed on the operational interaction of shipowners and ship operators with the administrations of seaports and the Navy, primarily in the Azov-Black Sea basin and the Baltic Sea zone," Patrushev said.

According to him, if necessary, it is now possible to request through the port captains the escort of vessels under the Russian flag by mobile firing groups. Earlier, Nikolai Patrushev stressed that the Russian Navy is one of the most powerful in the world due to the professionalism and combat training of submariners, as well as the latest equipment.

At the same time, measures were taken to promptly inform the world community about the facts of illegal actions against the Russian merchant fleet. For example, the Russian Foreign Ministry previously reported that the EU states, under the guise of fighting a fictitious "shadow fleet," are robbing maritime communications.

— Western countries, further escalating the situation, continue provocations against ships carrying out cargo transportation in the interests of our country. The risks of illegal actions and terrorist attacks against ships coming from Russian ports are increasing," Patrushev said.

Yuri Zverev, director of the Center for Foreign Regional Studies and Regional Studies at the BFU named after Immanuel Kant, told Izvestia that military personnel with portable anti-aircraft missile systems, grenade launchers and anti-tank missiles for fire resistance can be stationed on board tankers. Another protection option may be the escort of tankers by military vessels.

In addition to such tools, Moscow retains diplomatic levers, political analyst Denis Denisov noted in an interview with Izvestia. According to him, contacts with countries that have declared their readiness to engage in piracy are possible. Negotiation methods can play an additional role in ensuring the protection of the merchant fleet by the Navy.

Sea transportation is extremely important for the Russian economy. The cargo turnover of Russian ports in 2025 amounted to 884.5 million tons, the Association of Commercial Seaports reported earlier. At the same time, the vast majority is accounted for by export cargoes — 696.6 million tons. 274.6 million tons of crude oil alone were transported, while 121.1 million tons of petroleum products were transported. Earlier, Nikolai Patrushev stressed that Russia's own potential in the field of maritime cargo transportation is vital, and the country needs to build an import-independent model of the maritime economy.

Why is the West attacking merchant ships

Special attention was paid at the meeting to the situation surrounding the terrorist attack on the Arctic-Metagaz tanker sailing under the Russian flag in the Mediterranean Sea. On March 3, the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation reported that the vessel was attacked by unmanned Ukrainian boats in the immediate vicinity of the territorial waters of Malta.

As the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, later noted, a gas carrier carrying 100 thousand cubic meters of LNG lost power and power supply, a fire and a gas explosion occurred on it. All 30 crew members managed to escape, two sailors were injured.

— Taking into account the weather conditions, there are risks of uncontrolled entry into the territorial sea of Libya, Italy, Malta or other coastal states. Damage to the vessel, as well as persistent burning and gas emissions, can have catastrophic consequences for the environment of the coastal Mediterranean states," Nikolai Patrushev emphasized. Gorenje

According to him, it is necessary to organize cooperation with them to jointly eliminate the consequences of the terrorist attack and prevent an environmental disaster.

Russia is not going to let go of what happened on the brakes. Upon the incident with the Arctic-Metagaz tanker, the Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under the article "Act of international terrorism."

— The causes and perpetrators of the tanker damage will be determined. The evidence obtained should form the basis of Russia's position that compensation for damage is imposed on the aggressor in accordance with international law," the Russian presidential aide said.

In recent months, Western countries have intensified their hunt for ships that may be linked to the Russian Federation in one way or another. Last year, Estonia tried to stop a Jaguar tanker sailing to Russia under the flag of Gabon in the Gulf of Finland. In January, the US Navy seized the tanker Mariner in international waters. The President of the United States, Donald Trump, then released two Russian crew members by his decision.

Sweden joined in these actions: armed police boarded the bulk carrier Caffa, and then intercepted the oil tanker Sea Owl I. Finnish law enforcement officers detained the Fitburg cargo ship en route from St. Petersburg to Israel. And on March 20, in the western Mediterranean, the French authorities, with the participation of Britain, detained an oil tanker en route from Murmansk. The French Navy escorted the ship to the port of Marseille to conduct an investigation into allegations of flag violations.

Denis Denisov named three scenarios for stopping such attacks. In particular, the West may change its policy in the event of a painful response from Russia, as well as upon reaching a specific agreement on safety guarantees for maritime transportation. However, the most likely option is to stop attempts to detain ships after the conflict in Ukraine is resolved.