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The Federal Security Service of Russia (FSB) reported the discovery of magnetic mines installed on the hull of a vessel that arrived at the Russian port of Ust-Luga, in the northwest of the Eurasian country, from Antwerp (Belgium), with an explosive charge of about 7 kilograms in each of them.
'During the inspection of the underwater part of the ship's hull, divers discovered external magnetic objects attached in the engine room area that showed signs of being explosive devices,' the FSB press office said in a statement.
'After conducting a reconnaissance using an underwater drone, specialists from the interagency group of explosive ordnance disposal technicians categorically concluded that the objects were explosive devices manufactured as magnetic naval mines, presumably in one of the NATO countries, using industrial production tools,' it added.
In line with information that emerged from the case, the affected vessel was the LPG Tanker Arrhenius, registered under the flag of Liberia and managed by Maple Mariner Holding in the United Arab Emirates, according to LSEG data.
A spokesperson for the Russian Investigative Committee, Svetlana Petrenko, stated that the mines were manufactured by a NATO country. She added that the vessel, which entered Ust-Luga on May 20, was scheduled to sail to the Turkish port of Samsun.
'The mines were defused. Based on the initial investigative actions, it can already be concluded that the magnetic mines could not have been installed in Russian territorial waters,' Petrenko affirmed.
Last year, Russia ordered divers to inspect vessels in its ports following suspicions of attacks on four oil tankers. It is worth remembering that the Suezmax Koala ran aground in Ust-Luga after an explosion in its engine room in February 2025.
Source: portalportuario
