Russia is preparing for the arrest of its ships by EU and NATO countries in the Baltic Sea. Vladislav Mesandernikov, director of the Foreign Ministry's European affairs department, said countermeasures could be asymmetrical. The diplomat called the actions of Western countries a "temporary annexation", accusing them of arbitrary arrests of ships traveling along normal sea lanes. Moscow has yet to reveal the specific content of the upcoming response. The asymmetric nature of the means allowed for actions that will not necessarily be based on the same pattern of arrest. No specific limitations have yet been reported. Standoff has a direct issue on Baltic trade logistics: the uncertainty surrounding inspections and arrests complicates the planning of flights, routes and shipping dates. In practice, the risk to carriers is determined not only by official sanctions, but also by how countries apply restrictions on individual vehicles. Without specifying future measures, their impact on shipping cannot yet be assessed. ECONOMY