Moscow, March 26 Moscow will provide naval escort to ships carrying Russian cargo, following increasing instances of Western navies intercepting such vessels, the country's maritime board announced.
The Maritime Board of Russia, headed by Kremlin aide Nikolai Patrushev, announced a set of rules for countering the detention of Russian ships at sea and in international shipping lanes, according to portnews.ru, a web portal for seafarers.
Although these guidelines primarily cover the Azov-Black Sea basin and the Baltic Sea region, ensuring safe and efficient navigation, it was unclear whether naval escort would be provided beyond these areas.
This decision comes as European nations have stepped up efforts to disrupt Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of tankers, used by Moscow to deliver hydrocarbons to its traditional customers in India and China, and in response to the growing demand in Asian markets following the West Asia crisis and the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
"Shipowners working with Russia have been instructed on how to coordinate with the Navy," Patrushev announced, emphasizing the strengthened oversight of cargo ships operating for Russia.
To enhance the safety of ships, the Russian Navy will oversee vessels under escort and monitor navigation zones, he added.
This decision coincided with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement on the same day that he had authorized the military to board and detain Russian ships, which his government alleges are part of a network that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions.
This could lead to a confrontation between Ukraine's supporters and Russia at sea, experts say.
To avoid detention, vessel operators and owners involved in shipping to and from Russia have received detailed instructions on operational coordination with ports and naval authorities.
"Monitoring of cargo ships carrying Russian freight has been intensified. Authorities can now request, via port captains, escorts for Russian-flagged vessels from mobile fire support units, bolstering maritime security," the Maritime Board said.
The Russian Maritime Board noted a rise in the threat level for ships departing Russian ports, with an increased risk of attacks, including terrorist acts:
"The danger of illegal actions and terrorist attacks against vessels leaving Russian ports is escalating," it said.
In a recent incident, the Turkish tanker Altura, carrying 140,000 tons of oil, was damaged in a drone attack on Thursday, 24 kilometers from the entrance to the Bosphorus Strait, according to NTV television.
The vessel, flying the flag of Sierra Leone, sustained damage to its superstructure and the captain's bridge as a result of the explosion, and also suffered a leak in the engine room, according to TASS, a Russian news agency, quoting Turkish TV.
The vessel was travelling from the Russian city of Novorossiysk to Istanbul, according to maritime tracking service Marinetraffic.
The captain requested assistance from the coast guard. Boats from coastal services and the emergency response firefighting vessel Nene Hatun are operating at the scene.
The March 3 attack on the Russian LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz, sailing from the northern port of Murmansk in the Mediterranean region, by sea drones operated by the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) was also cited as another such case.
According to international media reports, the following cases of interception and detention of ships suspected of being part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ have been recorded:
Ethera/Barakai Pushpa (2026): In March 2026, Belgian special forces, supported by French helicopters, intercepted the Ethera in the North Sea. The tanker, flying the flag of Guinea, was suspected of bypassing sanctions and was escorted to Zeebrugge.
Grinch (2026): In January 2026, French naval commandos boarded the Comoros-flagged tanker Grinch in the Alboran Sea, escorting it to Marseille for sanctions violations.
Sea Owl I (2026): In March 2026, the Swedish Coast Guard stopped this tanker outside Trelleborg, noting it used a false Comoros flag.
Kiwala/Boracay (2025): Estonia first detained the Kiwala in April 2025, which was later intercepted by France in September 2025 under the name Boracay and linked to drone activity near Denmark.
Caffa (2026): A dry cargo ship, Caffa, was detained by Swedish authorities in March 2026.
Ukraine’s SBU secret service has also carried out drone attacks at several tankers in the Black Sea, which had come to take the cargo of crude from Novorossisk Port of Caspian Pipeline Consortium owned by Kazakhstan and US Chevron for export of landlocked Kazakh oil, it added.