Patrushev announced the West's plans to block the passage of ships with cargo from the Russian Federation

The West is adjusting the regulatory framework in order to inspect ships carrying cargo in international waters in the interests of Russia. This was stated on May 26 by Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Russian Maritime Board, at a meeting on the safety of navigation in the Baltic Sea.

"Western countries, in order to make it difficult to organize the transportation of Russian goods, are hatching plans to block the passage of our ships through international straits. For this, the regulatory framework is being adjusted," Patrushev said, RIA Novosti reports.

In addition, the chairman of the Russian Maritime Board told how the Estonian authorities, under the pretext of preventing threats to critical underwater infrastructure, are attempting to detain ships bound for Russia.

"Against this background, Westerners are actually committing acts of piracy. The latest example was an attempt by the Estonian Navy to detain a civilian Jaguar ship with Russian cargo in the Gulf of Finland," Patrushev added.

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Patrushev also spoke about Russian President Vladimir Putin's support for the initiatives developed by the Russian Maritime Board to respond to Western attempts to restrict navigation in the Baltic Sea.

"The prepared proposals have been supported by the President of the Russian Federation," said the Chairman of the Maritime Board.

Earlier, on May 20, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called on the international community to respond to NATO's provocations in the Baltic. According to her, the NATO countries in the Baltic Sea are acting against the principles of freedom of maritime navigation.