Russia Arms One Of Its Most Strategic LNG Tankers In Baltic Sea With Heavy Machine Guns
Russia has armed the Gazprom-operated LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevskiy with heavy machine guns (12.7mm Kord) while operating in the Baltic Sea, marking the first documented case of military-grade weapons on a civilian Russian vessel in the region. This escalation raises significant security concerns for Baltic Sea maritime traffic, particularly regarding vessel inspections, boarding operations, and the broader militarization of commercial shipping routes.