Machine guns spotted on Russian LNG carrier in the Baltic

Estonian Coast Guard Russia has armed a civilian gas tanker with heavy machine guns in the Baltic Sea, in what appears to be an unprecedented militarisation of a merchant vessel operating on a regular commercial route, according to an investigation by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and several European media partners. Surveillance photographs taken by the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board in May show two 12.7 mm Kord heavy machine guns mounted in sandbagged firing positions on either side of the bridge of the Gazprom-owned LNG carrier Marshal Vasilevskiy as it transited the Baltic. The vessel is a strategic asset for Russia, supplying liquefied natural gas between the mainland port of Bolshoy Bor and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which is sandwiched between NATO members Poland and Lithuania. Investigators also identified at least 22 individuals aboard the ship with backgrounds in the Russian military, Federal Security Service (FSB), National Guard or defence ministry. Passenger manifests reviewed by reporters showed several military-linked personnel repeatedly travelling on the vessel, suggesting the armed positions may be manned by trained operators rather than civilian crew. The findings come as tensions continue to rise across the Baltic, where NATO states have stepped up surveillance of Russian shipping following a series of sanctions enforcement actions and suspected acts of maritime sabotage. Sam Chambers Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune. Read Next June 30, 2026 Castor adds second modern kamsarmax in a week June 30, 2026 Vallourec joins contractor line-up on Azule’s $5.1bn Angola development June 30, 2026 Bureau Veritas agrees sale of fuel testing division to Triton Partners June 30, 2026 Skyborn takes full control of German offshore wind farm June 30, 2026 Skov to step down as Hafnia chief executive Back to top button