Russia sent a Navy frigate to escort sanctioned tankers - the Kremlin speaks of "piracy"
Kyiv • UNN
The Russian frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" escorted two oil tankers through the strait. Peskov called it protection against piracy in response to British sanctions.
The Kremlin stated that Russia has the right to defend its vessels from "piracy" after reports of sanctioned tankers being escorted by a warship through the English Channel. This was reported by Reuters, according to UNN.
Details
According to media reports, the Russian frigate "Admiral Grigorovich" escorted two oil tankers - Universal under the Russian flag and Enigma under the Cameroonian flag - through the strait.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated that Moscow considers its actions justified and related to the protection of economic interests.
In recent months, we have repeatedly observed cases of piracy in international waters. These incidents, in particular, have harmed the economic interests of the Russian Federation.
He added that Russia "considers itself entitled to take measures to protect its interests."
At the same time, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer previously stated that he had authorized the military to detain Russian vessels in British waters to counter schemes to circumvent sanctions on oil exports.