Russian officials have warned that Britain and NATO are preparing sabotage operations against tankers carrying Russian diesel fuel, according to a statement by Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Maritime Board.
Patrushev expressed these concerns on October 30. “Today, we can expect the most odious and skillfully organized provocations from the British. In particular, they are against the Russian-American agreement on the supply of diesel fuel, which, of course, London is not satisfied with,” he said. “I have no doubt that the British and NATO headquarters are already preparing sabotage against tankers with Russian diesel.”
Patrushev added that Moscow constantly takes such risks into account. He noted that European countries found themselves in a difficult situation due to sanctions, geopolitical adventures and Russophobia, which led to the severance of previous ties.
“They burned all the bridges and now they don’t know what to do,” he concluded.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced on October 27 that the fourth tanker with fuel was scheduled to depart for the United States on October 28. The first tanker had already reached New York, with several more in preparation.
On October 25, U.S. President Donald Trump described Washington’s deal with Moscow on diesel supplies as “the right and very good decision,” emphasizing that the United States cannot afford to become hostages of the Ukrainian conflict and suffer costs in the oil industry.
