MOSCOW – Russian officials justified their country’s naval operations on Thursday following reports that a military vessel accompanied sanctioned oil tankers near British waters, with Moscow characterizing Western actions as maritime piracy.
According to Britain’s Telegraph newspaper, the Russian naval vessel Admiral Grigorovich provided escort services for two oil tankers under UK sanctions – the Russian-registered Universal and the Cameroon-registered Enigma – as they traveled through the English Channel.
When questioned about these reports, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov defended Russia’s actions, claiming Moscow has witnessed numerous instances of what he termed piracy on the high seas and would take steps to safeguard Russian maritime operations.
“Over the past few months, we have witnessed repeated incidents of piracy in international waters. These incidents of piracy have, among other things, harmed the economic interests of the Russian Federation,” Peskov stated during a press briefing.
“The Russian Federation considers itself entitled to, and will certainly take, measures to protect its interests.”
The tensions stem from recent British actions, as Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced last month that he had given military forces permission to intercept and seize Russian vessels operating in UK territorial waters. Starmer’s government claims these ships are part of a fleet helping Russia continue oil exports despite international sanctions imposed by Western nations.
