The events surrounding the detention of the Russian shadow tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel have provoked a radical response in Moscow. Senator of the Federation Council of the Russian Federation and former head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, proposed equipping Russian civilian vessels with explosives. According to his plan, this should serve as a guarantee against arrest by foreign states and a means of creating ecological catastrophes in the event of an interception attempt.
Response to a "blow against Russia"
The reason for such sharp statements was the first-ever interception by the British Armed Forces of a vessel from Russia's shadow fleet. The operation was carried out by personal order of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, jointly with the French side. The detained tanker, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, was called by the British leader a "blow against Russia" and one who finances the war in Ukraine.
Currently, the 244-meter vessel is under guard, and an investigation is underway. Russian analysts have already admitted that this incident creates an extremely dangerous precedent for Moscow, which could lead to mass detentions of vessels transporting oil in circumvention of sanctions.
"They will immediately come to their senses"
In response to increased international pressure, Dmitry Rogozin formulated an idea that can be characterized as "ecological blackmail." The official called for installing explosives on civilian vessels linked to Russia.
"We need to mine the tankers we use. Initiation should occur upon receipt of appropriate commands or if the tanker deviates from its route and is forcibly diverted to a foreign port. A few explosions will go off right under their noses with an oil spill and corresponding environmental consequences, and they will immediately come to their senses," Rogozin stated.
In the senator's opinion, the threat of large-scale environmental pollution should become the lever that stops European countries from further actions against the shadow fleet.
Support from military bloggers
Rogozin's idea has received support among Russian military bloggers. They argue that the Russian Navy is physically unable to provide military escort for hundreds of civilian vessels cruising around the world. Under these conditions, the threat of detonation and oil spills off British or European shores is viewed as the only effective tool of pressure.
Context: Increased EU pressure
Radical proposals in Moscow are set against the backdrop of real strengthening of measures by the West. In early June, it became known that the European Union allowed the use of force to stop vessels of Russia's shadow fleet. In particular, as part of the naval operation IRINI in the Mediterranean Sea, European forces were granted the right to board suspicious tankers and conduct physical inspections. The first such arrest of a sanctioned vessel took place on June 1.
Such measures have caused serious concern in the Kremlin. Earlier, Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev stated that due to the threat of detentions and "sabotage," convoys wanted to be sent to protect the shadow fleet. At that time, Russia was considering options for involving warships for escort, placing mobile firing groups on civilian vessels, and installing special protective equipment.