Russia Defends Escort Of Sanctioned Oil Tankers Through English Channel Amid ‘Piracy’ Claims

Russia has said it has the right to protect its ships after reports that one of its naval vessels escorted sanctioned oil tankers through the English Channel.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had seen repeated cases of what it described as piracy in international waters in recent months.

He said these incidents had affected Russia’s economic interests and that the country would take steps to ensure the safety of its shipping.

His comments came after reports that the Russian navy frigate Admiral Grigorovich escorted two tankers, the Russian-flagged Universal and the Cameroon-flagged Enigma, through the English Channel.

Ship tracking data analysed by Reuters showed that both vessels passed through UK waters between Wednesday and Thursday.

The two tankers are used for diesel deliveries and were each carrying about 40,000 tonnes of cargo.

The fuel was loaded at the Baltic port of Primorsk in Russia’s Leningrad region at the end of March. Enigma is heading to Mersin in Turkey, while the destination of Universal is not clear.

Peskov said Russia had witnessed several such incidents in recent months and would act to protect its interests. He added that the country considered itself entitled to take such measures.

The UK continues efforts to restrict Russian oil exports under Western sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.

Last month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he had authorised the military to board and detain Russian ships in British waters.

The move is aimed at disrupting what the government describes as a network of vessels used by Russia to move oil despite sanctions. No such action has been taken so far.

British authorities said they monitored the movement of the Russian warship along with a landing ship and a submarine.

A patrol vessel, helicopter and tanker aircraft were used in the operation. Aircraft and ships from Belgium, France and the Netherlands also took part in tracking the vessels.

UK Defence Secretary John Healey said joint efforts with allies had already made it harder for Russia to operate a shadow fleet of oil tankers. He said the UK is ready to take further steps if needed, including action with allies to stop such vessels.

The English Channel remains one of the busiest shipping routes in the world, and movements of sanctioned vessels through these waters are being closely watched as tensions continue to affect global shipping.

Reference: Reuters