РУССКИЙ
11:11 29.04.2026 •
Vassily Nebenzia at UN Security Council
Photo: The Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations
Statement by Permanent Representative Vassily Nebenzia at a UNSC Briefing on the Safety and Protection of Waterways in the Maritime Domain.
As is well known, Russia did not support the idea of discussing the safety and protection of waterways within the UN Security Council, insofar as this issue is already being considered at length and in detail in the corresponding specialized fora.
However, what is currently unfolding in the world’s waterways not only poses a serious threat to international trade, exacerbating the global economic crisis, but it could also prompt military escalation.
It is not pirates or other criminal elements that currently threaten maritime security: there are new 21st-century buccaneers, namely the EU countries that have no qualms about seizing and arresting merchant vessels, acting in flagrant violation of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. This, in turn, is undermining energy and food security and generating humanitarian problems for developing countries.
Unlike pirates, who raise their Jolly Roger flag with a skull and crossbones on their vessels, Western countries are attempting to disguise their unlawful actions by citing “unilateral coercive measures” (UCMs). We would like to remind those who in other contexts champion legal approaches that, according to the UN Charter, only sanctions imposed by the Security Council are legitimate in nature. In international law, there is no such concept as a “shadow fleet”. All of this is merely a “fig leaf” to hide the fact that the EU is engaged in outright banditry at sea. And today, once again, we are hearing about the “rules-based order,” which Europeans are presenting again and again as an international practice.
We wish to remind you the obvious: under the law of the sea, a coastal State cannot, at its own discretion, detain a foreign-flagged vessel for inspection. Such actions, even in territorial waters, constitute a gross violation of the right of peaceful passage, and in international waters it is clearly an infringement upon the freedom of navigation. These are bedrock norms of customary international law, which is enshrined in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. The inviolability of these norms, as well as the principle of the exclusive flag state’s jurisdiction over a vessel, provides for the stable and predictable operations of the international maritime trade system. Therefore, the Convention contains a limited list of grounds for a State to interdict a vessel for inspection while exercising the abovementioned rights and freedoms.
Actions by the EU countries that trample upon the norms of international maritime law could trigger a “domino effect,” putting on hold the entire global maritime trade system. Moreover, the engagement of NATO naval forces for the detention of vessels leads directly to military escalation.
Ukraine’s armed attacks on civilian vessels flying the Russian flag or transporting Russian energy resources in different waterways around the globe warrant particular attention. These attacks pose a direct threat to international peace and security, not to mention the fact that they affect seafarers from various countries around the world, including from European nations.
Such attacks are becoming increasingly frequent in the direct proximity of the coasts of countries sympathizing with the Zelensky regime, which raises questions about their complicity in these attacks. As a result, the environment is being harmed, coastal States are incurring economic damages, and trade ties between countries are being disrupted.
From November 2025 to April 2026, the waters of the Black and Mediterranean Seas alone witnessed as many as 17 attacks targeting commercial vessels flying the flags of various States, including those of the Russian Federation, Malta, Sierra Leone, Liberia, The Gambia, and the Comoros. An egregious violation of international law is the March 3 terrorist attack in the Mediterranean Sea targeting the Russian-flagged Arctic Metagaz LNG tanker with the use of crewless boats and drones of the Kiev regime. The attack resulted in an explosion, and the vessel, which was carrying over 100,000 m³ of liquefied gas, was engulfed in flames. Currently, the tanker, which sustained significant damage, is drifting in the Mediterranean Sea. Given the nature of the cargo and the presence of bunker fuel, the situation is fraught with disastrous consequences for the environment, the lives and health of people, as well as for the coastal infrastructure of neighboring States.
The littoral States themselves, which have been unwittingly involved in this incident, are only voicing profound concern over the threat of environmental damage. However, they have not summoned the courage to provide a due assessment of this attack on a civilian vessel, which was perpetrated in the immediate vicinity of their coast.
Another recent example is the marine drone attack on the Altura tanker on March 26, 2026, which was 15 nautical miles away from the Bosporus Strait. The vessel was significantly damaged, which resulted in it taking on water and losing propulsion. At the moment of the attack, the tanker was transporting approximately 140,000 tons of crude oil. Just imagine the potential catastrophic consequences of such a massive oil spill off the coast of Turkey.
Let us address all States that respect the 1982 Convention and wish to avert escalation: it is time to take a firm stance, condemn these acts, and leverage all means available to prevent such incidents.
We cannot but note that Western countries, who are interdicting vessels in violation of international law and tacitly supporting Kiev’s acts of terrorism, take a completely different stance when it comes to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz: they are levelling vociferous and baseless accusations against Iran for what is unfolding. It amuses me to see how the root causes of the situation in the Strait of Hormuz are being shamefully swept under the rug by all these heads of EU foreign ministries sitting before us today, and the EU members who will speak later will definitely do the same. How could they hurt the feelings of their suzerain? Even though the suzerain doesn’t care a bit of these countries.
Let us recall that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz is the result of unprovoked US-Israeli aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, which has not only inflicted immense suffering on civilians throughout the region and precipitated a rapid collapse of stability in the Persian Gulf, but also spawned far-reaching consequences for the global economy, energy security, and food security. The Gulf States provide the global market with one-fifth of all oil, more than one-third of liquefied natural gas, and significant volumes of ammonia, phosphates, and sulfur.
When the heinous attack by West Jerusalem and Washington set ablaze the entire region, there was an attempt to pin all the responsibility on Iran, as if it were Tehran that had attacked its neighbors and was deliberately obstructing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Yet, in times of war, a coastal State under attack may limit navigation in its territorial waters for security purposes. Let me remind you that prior to February 28 – before the US and Israel decided to attack Iran – there were no serious disruptions to merchant shipping in the Persian Gulf whatsoever. Hence, a perfectly legitimate question arises: why did they have to begin all this? Responses are on the surface here: among other things, it is the desire to oust an inconvenient regime and to catch fish in murky waters. Yet, what we hear today is merely argumentation about imaginary threats. The price for this misadventure, however, is to be paid by the peoples and capitals of the Persian Gulf nations, which are friends of ours.
Russia staunchly advocates for a ceasefire and a return to the political and diplomatic process with the view to resolving existing disputes while safeguarding the security interests of all States in the region barring none. We support the relevant initiatives of our Pakistani friends. We expect the parties to strictly adhere to the current ceasefire and provide an opportunity for diplomacy to facilitate reaching definitive agreements. We call for the abandonment of warmongering rhetoric and hawkish plans to reignite a major regional war. Such a scenario would merely cause greater suffering and casualties among civilians, further undermine stability and security of all States in the region, including Israel, and in no way will it help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
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