On March 16, 2026, the IMO circulated a formal communication from Russia (Circular Letter No. 5154) to all member states. Dated March 15, the document raises two core grievances: Ukrainian drone attacks on civilian vessels, and what Moscow calls illegal detentions of ships by Western nations.
Using the IMO as a Platform
Russia opens by acknowledging the IMO’s technical mandate, while simultaneously using it to make political arguments. The move is strategic — the IMO is a forum where Russia retains full standing, and framing war-related grievances as “maritime safety” issues carries more procedural weight than bringing them to the UN General Assembly.
Ukrainian Drone Attacks
Russia documents seven attacks on civilian vessels between November 2025 and March 2026, attributed to Ukraine:
∙ Nov 28, 2025 — Tankers Kairos and Virat struck by unmanned surface vehicles in Türkiye’s EEZ; Virat hit again the next morning.
∙ Dec 2, 2025 — Chemical tanker Midvolga-2 hit by UAV 80 nautical miles off Türkiye; all 13 crew survived.
∙ Dec 10, 2025 — Crude tanker Dashan critically damaged by Ukrainian “Sea Baby” drones in the eastern Black Sea.
∙ Dec 18, 2025 — Tanker Qendil struck in the Mediterranean by a hexacopter-bomber, allegedly launched from a nearby civilian vessel.
∙ Jan 8, 2026 — Crude tanker Elbus attacked by UAV in the Black Sea.
∙ Jan 13, 2026 — Four tankers (Delta Harmony, Delta Supreme, Freud, Matilda) simultaneously attacked near the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal — all carrying Kazakh oil.
∙ Mar 3, 2026 — LNG tanker Arctic Metagaz critically damaged in the Mediterranean by aerial and surface drones; 30 crew rescued, 2 injured.
Russia singles out the Arctic Metagaz attack as particularly alarming, warning that striking an LNG carrier signals intent to trigger an environmental or explosive catastrophe. It also flags the Mediterranean incidents as evidence that Ukraine’s drone campaign is expanding well beyond the Black Sea.
Western Vessel Detentions
Russia lists nine vessel detentions by European authorities from December 2024 to March 2026, involving Finland, Germany, Estonia, Sweden, and France. Reasons cited include suspected cable sabotage, sanctions violations, false flag sailing, and smuggling — though several inspections found no evidence of wrongdoing and ships were released.
Russia characterizes these collectively as a “campaign of illegal seizure,” arguing they violate UNCLOS and the 1958 Convention on the High Seas. It further contests the legitimacy of Western sanctions, arguing only UN Security Council-approved measures qualify as truly international law — a position designed to resonate with Global South IMO members wary of Western extraterritorial enforcement.
Russia’s Core Demand
Russia calls on the IMO’s 36th extraordinary Council session to expand its agenda beyond the Arabian Sea and Gulf Region to include the Baltic, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Atlantic — effectively pushing to place Western enforcement actions under the same international scrutiny as Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
Key takeaway
The document is partly propaganda, but the incidents it describes are real. Ships have been drone-attacked. Vessels have been detained. Seafarers have been harmed. Beneath the political framing lies a genuine question: as great power conflict spills into international waters, the rules-based maritime order that underpins global trade is under serious and growing strain.
