{
    "title": "Russia claims to have found explosives on tanker that sailed from Antwerp",
    "modified_at": "2026-05-26 07:58:24",
    "published_at": "2026-05-26 07:58:00",
    "url": "https://www.belganewsagency.eu/russia-claims-to-have-found-explosives-on-tanker-that-sailed-from-antwerp",
    "short_url": "http://prez.ly/HyHd",
    "culture": "en_BE",
    "language": "EN",
    "slug": "russia-claims-to-have-found-explosives-on-tanker-that-sailed-from-antwerp",
    "body": "<p style=\"text-align: left\"><strong>Russian authorities claim to have found two mines on a gas tanker that sailed from Antwerp. The explosives were discovered on the hull of the vessel upon its arrival in Ust-Luga, south-west of St Petersburg. The Russian security service FSB says it has &ldquo;foiled a terrorist attack&rdquo;, according to reports by the state agency TASS.</strong></p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The gas tanker Arrhenius, sailing under the Liberian flag, entered the port of Ust-Luga on the Baltic Sea on 20 May. It was due to continue from there to the Turkish port of Samsun.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">During an inspection of the underwater section of the hull, the FSB reports that &ldquo;explosives resembling magnetic sea mines&rdquo; were found near the engine room, which were &ldquo;presumably manufactured in a NATO country&rdquo;. Each mine contained approximately 7kg of explosives, it is reported.</p>\n    <figure\n        class=\"release-content-image release-content-image--contained release-content-image--align-center\"\n        data-component=\"image-zoom-popup\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-selector=\".release-content-image__image\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-i18n=\"data:application/json;base64,eyJEb3dubG9hZCI6IkRvd25sb2FkIn0=\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-views-event=\"Story Image View\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-tracking-download-event=\"Story Image Download\"\n        data-image-zoom-popup-placement=\"content\"\n    >\n        <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover\" style=\"width: 100%\">\n            <img\n                src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                                    srcset=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/ 1x, https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e/-/resize/2400x/-/format/auto/ 2x\"\n                                class=\"release-content-image__image image-thumbnail-rollover__image\"\n                data-description=\"&lt;sup&gt;&amp;copy; PHOTO RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE / TASS VIA ZUMA PRESS&lt;/sup&gt;\"\n                id=\"image-cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e\"\n                data-id=\"cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e\"\n                data-original=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e/-/inline/no/Belgaimage-175002729.jpg\"\n                data-mfp-src=\"https://cdn.uc.assets.prezly.com/cae47d3e-2ec3-4c02-bd15-6226cc49de5e/-/resize/1200x/-/format/auto/\"\n                alt=\"\u00a9 PHOTO RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE / TASS VIA ZUMA PRESS\"\n            />\n            <div class=\"image-thumbnail-rollover__caption\">\n                <svg class=\"icon icon-expand image-thumbnail-rollover__caption-icon\">\n                <use xlink:href=\"#icon-expand\"></use>\n            </svg>            </div>\n        </div>\n\n        <figcaption class=\"release-content-image__caption\"><sup>&copy; PHOTO RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE / TASS VIA ZUMA PRESS</sup></figcaption>\n    </figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: left\">The FSB also said that during questioning, the ship&rsquo;s captain claimed the vessel had been forced to remain at anchor in the port of Antwerp for 36 hours, &ldquo;allegedly due to a strike by dockworkers&rdquo;.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">The Russian authorities have launched a criminal investigation. Russia maintains that it is &ldquo;absolutely out of the question&rdquo; that the mines could have been planted in Russia.</p><p style=\"text-align: left\">&nbsp;</p><p><sup>#FlandersNewsService | A search at the Russian Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga yields several magnetic mines on the hull of the tanker Arrhenius bound from Antwerp to Samsun &copy; PHOTO RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE / TASS / SIPA USA</sup></p><hr /><p><strong>Related news</strong></p><div id=\"bookmark-93689ef1-05ac-4238-bb11-97c90fe8397a\"\n     class=\"release-content-bookmark release-content-bookmark--horizontal\">\n\n            <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__thumbnail\"\n           href=\"http://prez.ly/hc8d\"\n           rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n           target=\"_blank\"           style=\"background-image: url(https://prezly.imgix.net/https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.uc.assets.prezly.com%2F15486595-1b74-4e34-902a-1d77083d5c75%2F-%2Fpreview%2F600x600%2F?ar=1%3A1&amp;fit=crop&amp;s=dec7731ad9155af93865c44e92866ea6)\"\n        ></a>\n    \n    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__details\">\n\n                    <a class=\"release-content-bookmark__title\"\n               href=\"http://prez.ly/hc8d\"\n               rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\n               target=\"_blank\"               data-type=\"bookmark\"\n               data-track=\"Story WebBookmark Click\"\n               data-placement=\"content\"\n               data-id=\"93689ef1-05ac-4238-bb11-97c90fe8397a\"\n           >\n                Seized shadow fleet tanker fined 10m euros and subjected to passenger ban            </a>\n        \n                    <div class=\"release-content-bookmark__description\">\n                A tanker linked to Russia&#039;s shadow fleet has been fined more than 10 million euros after it was boarded by the Belgian army last weekend. 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            "caption": "\u00a9 PHOTO RUSSIAN FEDERAL SECURITY SERVICE / TASS VIA ZUMA PRESS",
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    "author": {
        "first_name": "Flanders",
        "last_name": "News Service"
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