According to a report by the Russian Tass news agency on August 3, Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yury Filatov stated that Russia has issued a warning to Ireland. He said that if Dublin takes measures akin to 'piracy' against merchant ships on the grounds of alleged violations of sanctions against Russia, serious consequences could ensue.
Ireland's recent laws stipulate that the Irish military can conduct boarding inspections on the grounds of "cracking down on actions that violate sanctions against Russia".
"The crux of the issue lies in the fact that the Dublin side has already demonstrated an intent to engage in such actions. Theoretically, it may join its 'elder brother' in piracy." said Filatov.
He added, "The Russian side has already warned the A-side that attempting to carry out such piracy will have extremely severe consequences."
For a long time, Western countries have accused Russia of using commercial vessels such as oil tankers to circumvent Western sanctions, referring to these vessels as “shadow fleets”. In addition to Russia, Venezuela and Iran have also been accused of using such fleets to export oil.
Previously, the European Union had adopted a series of sanctions against Russia, including sanctions against Russian 'shadow fleets', prohibiting their ships from docking in EU ports and stopping the provision of related maritime services.
On August 2nd, the Italian Ministry of Defense reported that the Italian Navy, participating in EU long-term military operations in the Mediterranean, intercepted a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker under sanctions that same day. This is the second such interception operation by the EU in nearly two weeks.
According to a report by The Guardian in the UK on August 3rd, Irish officials have observed in recent weeks that an increasing number of Russian 'shadow fleets' are navigating through the waters near Ireland in the North Atlantic, attempting to bypass the enhanced surveillance of the UK and France.
Previously, both the United Kingdom and France have stated that they will intercept any ships that pass through their territorial waters and are associated with Russia’s sanctioned ‘shadow fleet’. British Prime Minister David Cameron announced in March this year that he had authorized the British military to board ships belonging to the ‘shadow fleet’ for inspections.
On June 14th, Stamer confirmed that the British Armed Forces intercepted a ship belonging to Russia’s 'Shadow Fleet' across the English Channel early that morning. He also claimed that this action by the British side once again targeted Russia and Putin.
The UK Ministry of Defence stated that during a six-hour operation, members of the Royal Marine Commando Corps and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency boarded the sanctioned oil tanker. This was the first time the UK had taken control of such an operation.
According to reports, the ship involved, the Smyrtos, will be temporarily transferred to an anchorage off the southern coast of England. It will be under monitoring to prevent any potential environmental or safety issues.
On June 1st, French President Emmanuel Macron posted on social media platform X, stating that the French Navy had arrived at a oil tanker that was leaving Russia and was subject to international sanctions. "This operation took place in the Atlantic Ocean, with the support of multiple partners including the United Kingdom, and strictly complied with the Law of the Sea," he wrote.
He also stated, “It is unacceptable for any vessel to circumvent international sanctions, violate the Law of the Sea, and provide funding for Russia’s war against Ukraine that has lasted for over four years.” He revealed that the oil tanker was named “Tagor”.
The French Navy approached and intercepted the tanker 'Tagon'. The French Navy, Reuters.
Kremlin spokesperson Peskov responded today that Russia believes France's seizure of its oil tanker is illegal and has been akin to "international piracy."
The Russian Embassy in France stated that preliminary information indicates that the captain of the tanker "Taqor" detained by the French Navy in the Atlantic is a Russian citizen. Russian diplomats noted that Russia has requested information about the nationality of the crew members of the tanker from France. The embassy also mentioned that France did not notify Russia in advance about its actions in this incident.
