Presidential aide and head of the Maritime Board Nikolai Patrushev announced that Russia is preparing military measures to protect its commercial vessels. In an interview with Kommersant, he claimed that an “unprecedented campaign” is being waged against the Russian fleet, prompting the authorities to consider placing mobile firing groups and specialized defense systems on board ships.
A key element of this strategy will be the direct escorting of merchant vessels by Russian Navy warships. Patrushev noted that the risk of maritime sabotage remains consistently high, citing the attack on the Arctic Metagaz LNG tanker in the Mediterranean on March 3, 2026, which Moscow attributes to drone strikes launched from the Libyan coast.
Analytical summary: The shift to military convoy tactics in March 2026 highlights the critical vulnerability of Russia’s logistics chains amid global isolation. However, the effectiveness of such measures remains questionable: the presence of warships does not guarantee immunity, as evidenced by recent cases where Russian tankers were detained despite having armed guards. For the international community, the militarization of trade routes creates additional risks to maritime safety, turning civilian exports into a legitimate zone of military confrontation and forcing global insurers to further hike premiums for vessels handling Russian cargo.