Written questions

Russia: Tankers

2026-06-23 · Ministry of Defence · 12887 · Official question

Ben Obese-Jecty

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what consideration he gave to interdicting the sanctioned Russian vessel SMYRTOS during its transit of the channel on 24-25 May 2026.

Answer

The Ministry of Defence continuously monitors maritime activity in UK waters. Any enforcement action is considered on a case‑by‑case basis. We will not provide details on our decision-making process as this could compromise our ability to successfully tak...