Russia allegedly deployed heavy weapons at the Marshal Vasilevsky gas tanker

The guns are believed to have a range of about 1km
Photo: The Times

A Russian gas tanker has been fitted with guns to protect it from drones and boarding attempts in a sign of escalating tensions in the Baltic Sea.

The Marshal Vasilevskiy, one of Russia’s main LNG tankers, had two fixed long-range weapons mounted to its bridge, pictures showed, The Times writes.

The images, which analysts have called unprecedented, suggest Russia believes there is an active threat to the tanker, which supplies the Russian exclave Kaliningrad. The area is also supplied by a pipeline via Lithuania.

A similar vessel, the Arctic Metagaz, was destroyed in the Mediterranean in March. Its smoking hulk has taken months to salvage after it was believed to have been hit by naval drones launched from Libya by Ukraine. Kyiv has not taken credit for the attack.

The pictures, obtained by the Estonian news outlet Delfi, were taken in May. They show two fixed guns similar to a long-range sniper rifle. Analysts said the weapons were likely to have a range of about 1km, and be used against small surface vessels or drones.

Russia’s gas tankers sail under its flag, so are not considered part of Moscow’s shadow fleet, which is made up of vessels that often try to hide their links to Russia by using other flags. However, the gas tankers play a vital economic role, transporting LNG prior to the European Union banning imports next year.

Patrick Bolder, defence specialist at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, said it was a warning to Nato: “Do not attempt to board us because that could trigger a war.”

The rifles were mounted on tripods and likely to be used against surface vessels, he said, adding: “The purpose is to make it as stable as possible, and it is really intended for engaging surface vessels, for example by disabling their engines, possibly targets on land as well. But I think this could probably shoot accurately out to about a kilometre.”

An intelligence official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said arming a ship like the Marshal Vasilevskiy could prevent European nations from boarding any shadow fleet vessels.

“If word spreads that shadow fleet vessels may be carrying heavy machineguns, the entire risk assessment for boarding operations by western countries will change,” he said. “The likelihood of anyone boarding such a vessel will become virtually zero. No one will approach it by helicopter. If that was Russia’s objective, then it has succeeded.”

This month, a Russian warship fired warning shots at a yacht manned by a retired British couple off the Isle of Wight. Bolder said: “As I understand it, they were not deliberately targeted, but if this weapon had been used against them, it would have left a very large hole in their sailboat.”

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