The Kremlin said on Thursday that Russia had the right to defend itself from what it called piracy after a British newspaper reported that a Russian Navy frigate had escorted oil tankers sanctioned by Britain through the English Channel.
Ship tracking data analysed by Reuters showed the two vessels sanctioned by the British Government mentioned in the Daily Telegraph report - Russian-flagged Universal and the Cameroon-flagged Enigma - crossed through UK waters between Wednesday and Thursday.
Deeply unpopular British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said last month that he had authorised the military to board and detain Russian ships in British waters to disrupt a network of vessels that his government says enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions over Ukraine. No such action has been taken so far.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, asked about the media report, said that Moscow had seen repeated cases of what he described as piracy in international waters and that Russia would act to ensure the safety of its own shipping.
"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 told reporters.
"The Russian Federation considers itself entitled to, and will certainly take, measures to protect its interests."
The two tankers are used for diesel deliveries, according to LSEG data, which shows them each carrying some 40,000 tonnes of diesel loaded from the Baltic port of Primorsk in Leningrad region at the end of March. Enigma is heading to Mersin in Turkey while Universal's destination was unclear.
Britain said it had used a patrol vessel, helicopter and tanker to report on the movements of the Admiral Grigorovich, a Russian landing ship and a submarine. Britain said Belgian, French and Dutch aircraft and ships were also involved in the monitoring operation.
Asked about the passage during a press conference - called to announce a separate British operation tracking Russian submarines in the High North - British defence minister John Healey said work between Britain and Western allies had already made it harder for Putin to operate a "shadow fleet" of oil tankers.
He confirmed the government was ready to go further.
"We have the military options, and we're ready to take action. Not just in support of, but action with, allies to interdict shadow fleet vessels," he said.
(Reporting by Dmitry Antonov and Muvija M in London, Writing by Anna Peverieri and William James; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Philippa Fletcher)
