Russia Suggests Blowing Up Its Own Tankers If They Are Seized

Russia has proposed detonating its own tankers to prevent their seizure by European countries.

Russian Senator Dmitry Rogozin put forward this idea.

He reacted to a statement by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer regarding the interception of a Russian oil tanker as it passed through the English Channel.

According to Rogozin’s proposal, a tanker should be blown up if it deviates from its route or is forced into a foreign port.

“If a couple of explosions occur under their noses with an oil spill and the corresponding environmental consequences, they will immediately come to their senses,” Rogozin said.

In early June, the European Union authorized its naval forces to detain tankers in the Mediterranean Sea that may be carrying Russian oil.

Early Sunday morning, British military and law enforcement officers detained a tanker from the Russian shadow fleet in the English Channel.

UK Ministry of Defence and Prime Minister Keir Starmer reported this.

The vessel involved in the six-hour operation was the tanker Smyrtos, flying the flag of Cameroon.

The UK Ministry of Defence said the vessel was detained and will remain under surveillance off the country’s southern coast until the investigation is completed.

The tanker had been anchored in the Gulf of Finland with its automatic identification system turned off and was likely heading to the port of Ust-Luga at least since June 5.

On June 7, Smyrtos left its anchorage and headed west toward Port Said, Egypt. On June 11, it left the Baltic Sea and two days later reached the English Channel, where it was detained.

According to the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, Smyrtos has been involved in exporting Russian oil products since at least March 2025, operating mainly via routes from the port of Kozmino in the Far East.

Over the past year, the tanker has been sanctioned by the European Union, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, and Canada.

Russia operates a shadow fleet of tankers with opaque ownership structures to bypass international sanctions on oil exports. The fleet includes more than 700 vessels transporting about 75% of Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions restrictions.