Russia plans to rig shadow tankers with explosives and blow them up if they are intercepted
14 June 21:15
Senator and former head of Roscosmos Dmitry Rogozin proposed placing explosives on civilian vessels linked to Russia so that they could be destroyed if captured. This was his response to the UK’s detention of the Smyrtos, a tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet. This was reported by "Komersant Ukrainian", citing Russian propaganda media.
“We need to mine the tankers we use. The detonation should occur upon receiving the appropriate orders or if the tanker deviates from its route and is forced to call at a foreign port. Let it blow up right under their noses a few times, with an oil spill and the corresponding environmental consequences, and they’ll come to their senses right away,” Rogozin stated.
On the morning of June 14, the British Armed Forces, acting on orders from Prime Minister Keir Starmer , intercepted a tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet for the first time as it attempted to pass through the English Channel. The 244-meter-long Smyrtos, which is subject to EU and Swiss sanctions, was sailing from Ust-Luga under the Cameroonian flag. The interception operation was conducted in cooperation with the French and lasted six hours. Starmer called it a “blow to Russia” and to “those who fuel Putin’s war in Ukraine.” The Smyrtos will remain anchored under guard off the southern coast of England while the investigation continues.
Rogozin’s initiative was supported by Z-bloggers.
“Now the idea no longer seems strange. If there were previously hopes that the leadership… would respond to the seizure of ships at least by deploying private military companies (PMCs) and other adequate countermeasures (the Russian Navy does not have enough vessels to escort all ships), it eventually became clear that this idea found no support in the upper echelons. But blowing up a seized tanker off the British coast and causing an environmental disaster would clearly raise questions among the British public about their government’s actions,” wrote the “Two Majors” public group.
The channel “Rybár,” which is close to the Ministry of Defense, called the detention of the Smyrtos a “precedent” that “shows that conditions for the shadow fleet are becoming increasingly difficult.” He acknowledged that it is impossible to provide military escorts for all such vessels and suggested using unmanned boats and private security to prevent detentions.
“If we don’t develop a systematic response, even those who have never had a proper coast guard will learn to seize defenseless vessels next,” the channel’s author noted.
After the invasion of Ukraine, the shadow fleet became one of Russia’s main tools for maritime oil exports. It accounts for up to 70% of the country’s such shipments. According to media estimates, in 2025, the Russian Federation’s shadow fleet consisted of about 1,300 vessels.
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