The UK’s sanctions policy is having an impact on Russia, the defence secretary has suggested, after reports that a Russian warship has been sent to escort sanctioned tankers through the English Channel.
In interviews on Thursday morning, Yvette Cooper, the foreign secretary, declined to confirm the reports. The vessels are understood to be part of Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which is used to move oil sold to help fund the war in Ukraine.
The government recently announced that UK armed forces have been authorised to board sanctioned ships in British waters in order to stop them. Cooper said the policy means action can now be taken, but that operational decisions must then be made by the military.
“What I can tell you is that we have given permission now for action to be taken against the Russian shadow fleet. Operational decisions then have to be taken in the right way by the military,” she said.
She added that there are signs not only of how the Russian shadow fleet is operating, but also of wider Russian pressure across Europe. “There are indications of the way in which not just the Russian shadow fleet is operating, but also the way in which we are seeing increased Russian threats, not just to the UK, but across Europe as well,” she said.
The comments come amid growing concern in Westminster about Russia’s use of maritime routes to keep its oil exports flowing despite international sanctions. British ministers have framed the new boarding powers as part of a wider effort to disrupt that trade and raise the costs for Moscow.
Reports that a Russian warship may be accompanying sanctioned tankers through the Channel have added a new dimension to that effort. If confirmed, the move would underline the extent to which Russia is seeking to protect vessels tied to its oil exports.
For the government, the appearance of an escort would also suggest its policy is beginning to bite. By increasing pressure on sanctioned shipments and signalling that British authorities may intervene in UK waters, ministers believe they can make the shadow fleet harder to operate.
The issue sits within a broader debate over how to respond to Russian aggression and the security risks it poses in Europe. Cooper’s remarks suggest the government sees the latest developments not as an isolated shipping matter, but as part of a wider pattern of Russian activity that London believes requires a firm response.
The official position remains that decisions on any boarding or interception would be made operationally by the military. But the political message from ministers is clear: the UK intends to keep targeting the network Russia relies on to move oil and finance its war effort.
Further details were not immediately confirmed by the foreign secretary, who did not directly verify the reports of a Russian naval escort. Even so, the government’s response indicates that it views the shadow fleet as a live and growing challenge.
As ministers continue to press ahead with sanctions enforcement, the question for Whitehall is whether the latest signs of Russian countermeasures show a weakening system or a more determined effort to shield it.
