Russia Finds Two Mines Attached to Hull of LPG Carrier Arriving at Ust-Luga
Russian officials are reporting that they thwarted an attempted terrorist attack after discovering mines attached to the hull of a tanker arriving from Belgium. They were able to disarm the mines and are inspecting them as part of a criminal investigation.
The Liberian-flagged LPG tanker Arrhenius (26,645 dwt) arrived in Ust-Luga on May 20, according to the statement from the Russian security service FSB. It anchored off the port for an inspection as part of a program Russia instituted last year to increase port security after several other attacks.
During the inspection, divers discovered magnetic devices attached to the hull, and a subsequent investigation by drones from a specialized explosive team confirmed there were two mines in the area of the engine room. Media reports are that each mine contained 7 kg (15 pounds) of explosives.
The FSB, in its statement, referred to the mine as “naval magnetic mines, which had presumably been made in a NATO country using industrially manufactured products." The news agency TASS, however, suggests that the limpet mines were homemade rather than of a recognizable NATO design.
The captain of the vessel told the authorities that they had proceeded to Antwerp after loading a cargo of LPG, but when they arrived on May 12 were instructed to anchor offshore because the terminal was not ready. They are blaming a strike by Belgian port workers for delaying the arrival. The ship docked after holding approximately 36 hours, and unloading took an additional 25 hours. It departed Antwerp on May 16 and proceeded directly to Ust-Luga with no stops.
Russian officials are asserting that the explosives couldn't have been attached to the hull while the ship was in Russian waters.
The ship was evacuated, but the crew was later permitted to return to the vessel, which remains in the area outside Ust-Luga. The reports said it was to have loaded a cargo and proceeded to Turkey.
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Suspicions immediately centered on Ukraine, which has increased its attacks against the Russian energy infrastructure, but so far, there have been no comments from Ukrainian officials. Russia said a criminal investigation has been launched.
In addition to the drone attacks, Russia has been on heightened security at its ports after a series of tanker explosions last year that were linked to mines. The tanker Koala exploded at the dock in Ust-Luga in February 2025. Russian officials initially called it an accident, but later reports speculated it was a mine blast that made three holes in the hull and caused the vessel to settle at the stern to the bottom of the harbor.