In a statement released on 30 October, Kremlin adviser Nikolay Patrushev, chairman of the Russian Maritime Board, said Britain and NATO are allegedly preparing sabotage operations against vessels carrying Russian diesel fuel to the United States. The claim was reported by TASS and echoed in a Vietnamese-language outlet that translates Russian sources.
According to TASS, Patrushev warned that the United Kingdom and NATO may already be setting up “acts of sabotage” against tankers that transport Russian diesel. He said the UK’s disapproval of a Russia‑US diesel fuel deal was prompting the alleged planning. Patrushev added that Moscow is “closely following developments of such risks” and expressed concern about Europe’s position under sanctions, geopolitical ventures and “rampant Russophobia.” The TASS report also noted that Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak has said Russia will lift its ban on diesel exports ahead of schedule and is ready to supply the United States and global markets.
“Today, we can expect the most outrageous and skillfully organized provocations from the UK,” Patrushev said in an interview with the Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily. “In particular, they will be directed against the Russia–US deal on diesel fuel supplies, which, of course, London does not approve of.” “I have no doubt that sabotage against tankers carrying Russian diesel is already being prepared in British and NATO headquarters,” he added.
In a Vietnamese-language article published by the Lao Dong newspaper, Russian officials were reported to have said that sabotage plans targeting the country’s diesel tankers “may have been prepared at the UK and NATO commands.” The outlet translated the Russian statements and repeated Patrushev’s claim that Britain is “pre‑planning” such attacks. The article also cited the same TASS information that the United States and Russia had a phone conversation on 9 October, during which the two leaders discussed the supply of petroleum products.
Patrushev’s remarks come amid a broader diplomatic standoff. Russia has repeatedly warned that sanctions and the perceived isolation of European nations have left Moscow “burnt all bridges,” according to the TASS account. He further suggested that Europe is “unable to realize that it has pushed itself into a corner” with its punitive measures, and that this has led to increased Russian readiness to supply fuel to the United States.
While TASS reports that Russia is monitoring the situation closely, it does not confirm whether any sabotage plans have moved beyond speculation. The statements were characterized as an official warning rather than evidence of operational preparations. Conversely, the Lao Dong article presents the same claims without adding new information, serving largely as a translator of the Russian source. No other international outlet has provided an independent verification of the alleged sabotage plans, and no evidence of actual sabotage attempts has yet emerged.
Russian officials have framed the allegations as a response to Western embargoes and isolation, while Western sources have not addressed the accusations. The dispute underscores the continued tension over Russia’s energy market involvement in the United States, which began after a 2022 Russian ban on diesel exports to West Africa and the United States. In this context, Russian officials remain vigilant over any moves that could undermine their diesel supply to a key partner.