Skip to main content

Written question asked by Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative) on Wednesday, 24 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 29 June 2026. It was answered by Louise Sandher-Jones (Labour) on Thursday, 2 July 2026 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.


Russia: Tankers

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 take action against sanctioned ships, only benefitting our adversaries.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
12887
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Tankers Sanctions Russia English Channel
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk