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Russia has introduced stricter rules for foreign ships entering its seaports after a series of mysterious explosions involving oil tankers.
President Vladimir Putin signed a decree that grants the Federal Security Service (FSB) greater authority to decide which foreign vessels are allowed into Russian ports.
The new rule came into effect on July 21. It states that any vessel coming from a foreign port can only enter a Russian port after receiving permission from the port captain. However, this permission must also be agreed upon with the FSB. The FSB is Russia’s top security agency and the main successor of the Soviet-era KGB.
Earlier, this type of approval from the FSB was only required for ships entering ports near Russian naval bases. In most cases, the rules were set by the transport ministry. However, under the new order, these rules now apply to all ports nationwide.
The decree was signed under martial-law regulations and is aimed at strengthening port security. The move follows recommendations made by Russia’s Security Council, which had earlier suggested better protection at ports. These suggestions followed a recent surge in mysterious blasts on oil tankers linked to Russia.
One of the latest incidents happened less than a month ago near Libya. An oil tanker that had earlier stopped at Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga and also at a terminal near the Black Sea port of Novorossiysk was hit by an explosion. The reason behind the blast is still unknown.
Since these explosions, many shipowners have become more cautious. They are now using divers and underwater drones to inspect their ships’ hulls for possible underwater mines after stopping at Russian ports.
Russia’s port authority also responded by launching a tender for underwater hull inspections at Baltic ports. A total of 3.16 billion rubles (approximately $40.4 million) has been allocated for these services.
Back in March, the maritime security company Ambrey mentioned in a report that crude oil and oil product tankers linked to Russia were “highly likely” to be targeted by a state actor. The company didn’t name who was behind it.
References: Reuters, Bloomberg