Russia has instructed port authorities to conduct underwater inspections of foreign vessels for explosives and other potentially dangerous items, as reported by the Kommersant business daily on Tuesday, referencing a government decree dated November 25.
This action is in response to a presidential mandate that requires foreign ships to secure approval from the Federal Security Service (FSB) before being allowed to dock at Russian ports.
According to the new regulations, when a foreign ship requests port entry, the port captain must inform the FSB within one hour and provide information about the vessel’s last ten ports of call.
The FSB is then allotted 48 hours to either grant or deny access, and they may mandate an underwater inspection as part of their assessment.
Port operators are tasked with organizing these inspections and can seek payment from shipowners to cover the costs incurred.
The inspections must utilize divers and specialized equipment, and any explosives discovered are to be managed by military or security personnel.
Similar protocols were previously implemented in most northwestern ports during the summer and are now being extended to facilities in the Azov-Black Sea region, according to Kommersant.
As per data from Russia’s Federal Agency for Sea and Inland Water Transport (Rosmorrechflot), foreign ships made 26,700 visits to Russian ports in 2024, including 4,360 in Novorossiysk, 3,000 in Vladivostok, 2,750 in Ust-Luga, 2,570 in St. Petersburg, and 1,670 in Vostochny.
While the typical cost for an underwater inspection is approximately 300,000 rubles ($3,900), some ports have increased their fees to as high as 1 million rubles ($12,900), according to one industry insider who spoke to Kommersant.
The source also remarked that the Far East region, in particular, is experiencing a scarcity of divers and necessary equipment.
Another industry representative expressed concern over winter operations, stating, “There is a lot of apprehension regarding the impending ice.”
The increased scrutiny comes in light of a series of unexplained explosions affecting tankers that have arrived at Russian ports since the beginning of 2025.
