Russia considers tightening rules of entry of foreign warships

The Russian government has been considering a new set of rules limiting the access of foreign warships vessels into its territorial waters, requiring them to submit preliminary applications, reported on Wednesday, June 10, RIA Novosti reported with reference to an explanatory note to the draft decree of the Government of the Russian Federation.

“It is proposed that the rules be amended to establish the need for the state to flag the foreign warship or vessel of the corresponding request sent through diplomatic channels no later than 30 days before the expected date of passage, and for ships and vessels with nuclear power plants – no later than 90 days,” the document says.

It is noted that they want to extend the new rules not only with respect to warships, but also “other state ships operated for non-commercial purposes, in the territorial sea, in inland sea waters.”

The internal maritime waters of the Russian Federation are the waters
on the landward side of the baseline, from which the breadth of the territorial sea of the Russian Federation is measured.

Currently the

The regulations governing navigation and stays in naval bases and areas where warships are based shall be drawn up by the specially empowered federal executive body for defence, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation and published in Notices to Mariners.

Russia has over the last years significantly strengthened its military presence in the Arctic. A series of new bases have been built and upgraded and new advance military hardware installed in the area.