Putin turns Russian ports into FSB facilities: foreign ships will undergo “filtration”

Moscow is tightening the screws on maritime logistics even more, effectively destroying the remnants of open access to its ports.

Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree according to which every ship entering Russia from a foreign port must obtain a permit approved by the FSB. The document came into force on July 21, 2025.

What is written in the decree:

• foreign ships entering Russian ports will now require additional approval from the FSB;

• law enforcement agencies will determine responsible officials who will have the right to grant or block such permits;

• the Russian government has been tasked with ensuring the implementation of this decision.

Thus, the Russian authorities are officially transferring control over civil shipping to the special services. This will further complicate the work of foreign carriers and partners, because any entry into a Russian port will now depend not on logistics or contracts, but on the decisions of law enforcement agencies.

Recall, USM recently wrote that FSB agents were preparing a missile strike on a saltpeter storage facility in the port of Odesa.