Photographs confirm the Russian LNG tanker Marshal Vasilevskiy is armed with two Kord 12.7 mm heavy machine guns, verified by OSINT and Estonian border guard sources in the Baltic Sea in 2026.

Open source intelligence revealed new photographs of a Russian shadow fleet LNG tanker, the Marshal Vasilevskiy, equipped with two heavy machine guns. These images were sourced from Estonian border guards during a patrol flight over the Baltic Sea near the Hiiu Nature Reserve, confirming that the vessel broadcast AIS signals while entering Estonian waters. The machine guns are identified as the Kord 12.7 mm Russian-made heavy machine guns, likely intended for defense against drone attacks. Verification included reverse image searches and forensic image analysis to exclude AI generation or manipulation. The armed status of the vessel suggests new Russian measures to militarize shadow fleet tankers in 2026 amidst tensions involving Ukraine and NATO in the Baltic Sea.