Russia says magnetic mines found on tanker at Ust-Luga port

MOSCOW, May 25 (Reuters) – Several magnetic mines were detected on a tanker in Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, Russia’s Investigative Committee said on Monday.

The committee said that the mines, produced in a NATO country, were found by divers during an inspection of the hull of the Arrhenius tanker, which arrived from the Belgian port of Antwerp to load liquefied petroleum gas.

Russia has increased security measures at its ports after suspected acts of sabotage aimed at undermining its energy infrastructure.

NATO did not mine any tankers, a NATO official said in an emailed statement.

Last year, Russia ordered divers to inspect ships in its ports after suspected attacks on four oil tankers. Suezmax tanker Koala ran aground in Ust-Luga after an explosion in the engine room in February 2025.

According to LSEG ship tracking data, Arrhenius is Liberian-flagged and managed by Maple Mariner Holding in the UAE.

Russian Investigative Committee spokeswoman Svetlana Petrenko said that the mines were produced by a NATO country. He said that the ship, which entered Ust-Luga on May 20, was planned to sail to the Turkish port of Samsun.

He said the mines were deactivated.

“Based on initial investigative activities, it can be concluded that magnetic mines cannot be placed in Russia’s territorial waters,” Petrenko said.

(Reporting by Reuters, Writing by Alessandra Prentice, Additional reporting by Inti Landauro; Editing by Guy Faulconbridge and Ros Russell)