The Belgian prosecutor's office has confirmed that it is investigating data on a possible sabotage attempt against a ship used by Russia to transport liquefied gas, local media reported. It is specified that the case dates back to the end of May and, according to Russian security services, upon the tanker's arrival from Antwerp to a Russian port, sea mines were found on board, BTA reported.
It is alleged that the mines were attached with a magnet to the rear of the ship above the water, in the engine room and propeller area. Belgian military intelligence notes that last year another tanker used by Russia and transiting Antwerp was damaged when explosive devices were set off after returning to the same Russian port on the Baltic Sea.
So far, investigators have not ruled out any hypothesis for the incident, after the Belgian Foreign Ministry rejected the Russian side's allegations of attempted sabotage at the end of May. A detailed review of video footage of the Liberian-flagged tanker's movement in the port of Antwerp has shown that when it left the area, attached objects were indeed visible on board the ship, similar to the footage released by Russia after the vessel entered the Russian Baltic port.
Belgian military intelligence tracked the tanker's movement and found that it stopped only twice on its way - for a raid in Dutch territorial waters due to a 24-hour strike in the port of Antwerp, and in the port of Antwerp itself for processing. According to Russian counterintelligence, the discovered mines were manufactured in a NATO country.
Belgian services note that placing the mines on board the ship in motion would not have been possible due to the location where they were found. Their data shows that since December 2024, a total of 18 vessels used by Russia for fuel trade have suffered incidents that are believed to be sabotage.