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Shipping: Russia

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 24 June 2026UIN 10469

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what information her Department holds on the number of times the sanctioned Russian Shadow Fleet vessel SMYRTOS transited a) through the English Channel or b) through the wider UK EEZ since 24 March 2026.

Answered by Keir Mather

Before the UK Government’s interdiction of the SMYRTOS on 14 June, the SMYRTOS had transited the Channel once since 24 March 2026 while on North-East passage to the Baltic across 24-25 May. This was on the French side of the Traffic Separation Scheme but included brief entries into the UK’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

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