Russian Divers Inspect Ships For 'Foreign Objects & Explosives' Below Water Level

Container ship — Image for representation purposes only

Russia has initiated mandatory underwater inspections for ships arriving at its ports after mysterious attacks on four oil tankers that had recently visited Russian ports.

A government letter issued by the transport ministry and the federal agency for sea and river transport cited an “increasing threat” to vessels transporting hazardous cargo and port infrastructure.

As per the directive, seaports must inform shipowners that their vessels will undergo inspections upon arrival. Divers and specialised equipment will be deployed to detect any foreign objects or explosives below the waterline.

The inspections will be carried out by the Ministry of Defence and the National Guard, while state enterprise Rosmorport will oversee the process.

In the past month, three oil tankers in the Mediterranean and one in the Russian Baltic have been damaged by explosions. The exact causes of these incidents remain unclear.

One of the affected ships, the Greek-operated oil tanker Seajewel, was anchored off the southern Italian port of Savona-Vado when two explosions occurred below its waterline on Saturday. Italy has since launched a terrorism investigation into the attack.

Another tanker, the Suezmax vessel Koala, suffered an explosion in its engine room earlier this month while docked at the Russian oil terminal in Ust-Luga, causing it to run aground.

The Russian navy has also been deployed to guard against potential threats from drones and unmanned vessels.

Reference: Reuters

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