Russia Allocates $39.5 Million for Underwater Ship Inspections Amidst Mysterious Baltic Explosions

Russia has allocated over 3 billion rubles (approximately $39.5 million) for underwater inspections of ships arriving at its Baltic Sea ports, in response to a series of unexplained explosions impacting tankers, as announced by the state-owned company Rosmorport on Wednesday.

As reported by PortNews, Rosmorport has initiated a tender process to secure inspection services at key ports, including St. Petersburg, Ust-Luga, Kaliningrad, and others in the Leningrad region.

Under the terms of the tender, contractors will be responsible for identifying foreign objects, such as explosives, affixed to the hulls of ships.

The inspections are set to include areas like propeller-rudder systems, thrusters, bow bulbs, and additional underwater components.

The work will utilize sonar technology and unmanned underwater vehicles.

The cost of each individual inspection is projected to range from 578,000 to 2.8 million rubles ($7,370 to $35,700), depending on the type of vessel.

This Rosmorport tender is a response to a series of mysterious explosions that have impacted tankers arriving at Russian ports. Since early 2025, six vessels have experienced explosions after docking at Russian or nearby ports.

The latest incident occurred on July 6, when an explosion caused damage to the ammonia tanker Eco Wizard after it arrived at Ust-Luga, Russia’s largest Baltic port. The Telegram channel Baza, associated with Russian law enforcement, reported that sabotage is suspected as the explosion’s cause.

Such incidents have also transpired in countries as distant as Libya, Turkey, and Italy, frequently involving tankers transporting oil or chemicals.

Tender applications for the inspection contracts will be accepted until July 24, with results anticipated by August 4.