Former Roscosmos chief Dmitry Rogozin has reacted to the detention of a Russian shadow fleet tanker by British forces by proposing that such vessels be equipped with explosives.
He made the remarks on social media following the UK operation against the tanker SMYRTOS, which London says is part of Russia’s shadow fleet used to circumvent sanctions on oil exports.
“I believe the tankers we use should be mined. The detonation should occur upon receiving the appropriate command or if the tanker is forced off its route and into a foreign port,” Rogozin wrote.
He also claimed that a few such explosions, causing oil spills and environmental damage, could make Western countries reconsider actions against Russian vessels.
The comments came after the UK Ministry of Defence announced what it described as the first British-led interception of a vessel belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet. The tanker was stopped in the English Channel during a six-hour operation involving Royal Marine Commandos, the National Crime Agency and Royal Navy assets.
British authorities said the operation was conducted in accordance with domestic and international law and was part of broader efforts to disrupt the mechanisms that allow Russia to continue generating revenue from oil exports despite sanctions.
Dmitry Rogozin headed Russia’s state space corporation Roscosmos from 2018 to 2022. Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he has repeatedly made hardline statements regarding Western countries and publicly supported Russia’s military actions.
