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Shipping: Russia

Asked by Ben Obese-JectyConservativeMinistry of DefenceTabled Answered 7 July 2026UIN 12888

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he made of the feasibility of using the NCA to conduct an interdiction operation on the sanctioned Russian vessel SMYRTOS during its transit of the channel on 24-25 May 2026 under the a) Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 and the b) Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

Answered by Louise Sandher-Jones

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.

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