Russia Denounces UK Threat to Take Oil Tankers
Moscow has denied operating any such fleet and described attempts to seize vessels on the high seas as “piracy.”
In a statement on Wednesday, Downing Street said the UK would work with allies in the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF), a coalition of ten European NATO members, to “close off UK waters, including the [English] Channel, for sanctioned vessels.” The objective is to compel ship operators to “either divert to longer, financially painful routes, or risk being detained by British forces,” the statement added.
Recent preparations by British military and legal experts include planning for scenarios “including boarding vessels that don’t surrender, are armed, or use high tech pervasive surveillance to evade capture,” Downing Street said. Any seizure would involve a coordinated review by law enforcement, military, and energy market specialists, who would make recommendations to ministers before execution.
The Russian Embassy in London denounced the move as a “deeply hostile step,” accusing the UK of plotting “acts of piracy.” “The stated objectives – combined with the timing of this announcement – leave no room for doubt that the recent escalation of Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy infrastructure also occurred with the involvement of the British side,” the embassy said on Thursday.
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