©Demet Kayabaşı via Unsplash
The Russian security service FSB reported on Monday that it has foiled an attempted "terrorist attack" after agents said they discovered magnetic explosives attached to the hull of a tanker that had arrived from Belgium and was docked for loading at the northwestern port of Ust-Luga. Belgium strongly questions that story.
The Russian security service FSB reported that multiple magnetic mines were found on a tanker in the port of Ust-Luga, in Russia's Leningrad region. The ship came from the port of Antwerp. The ship should have then sailed to the Turkish port of Samsun. This was reported by Interfax news agency reports .
According to the Russian news agency, the magnetic mines were found on the hull of the tanker Arrhenius, which had arrived from the port of Antwerp to load liquefied petroleum gas. "Divers discovered strange magnetic objects attached near the engine room that showed signs of explosive devices," the FSB said in a statement distributed by state news agencies.
According to ship tracking data from LSEG, the tanker is sailing under the Liberian flag and is managed by Maple Mariner Holding in the United Arab Emirates. According to Russia, the mines were produced in a NATO country. Where exactly they were made is not yet clear. According to the FSB, "the amount of plastic explosives in each device was about 7 kilograms," although the service did not say how many explosives were found in total.
"During the interrogation of the ship's captain, it was established that prior to unloading in the Belgian port of Antwerp, the ship's agent had sent the ship to an anchorage, where it remained for about a day and a half, allegedly due to a strike by port workers," the FSB statement said.
Russia is opening an investigation into terror attempt in response to the find. Russian officials confirmed this to the state news agency TASS.
Belgium vehemently denies
According to Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prévot, the Russian authorities' claims are false.
"At the moment, there's nothing that shows a link between the port of Antwerp and the alleged presence of the so-called explosive on the ship," he echoed.
"The available images show that the ship left Antwerp with no such element visible. This suggests that it was very likely not present during its stay in Belgium." The minister also stressed that the information from Russia must be treated with caution because it cannot be independently confirmed. "Even the question of whether it is actually a sea mine remains unanswered for the time being."
©Demet Kayabaşı via Unsplash - illustration image of part of the port of Antwerp