Russian Shadow Fleet

Lord Walney Excerpts

Tuesday 16th June 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

Clearly, we work with our international allies and colleagues, whether it be in Scandinavia or anywhere else in Europe, essentially to deal with the sort of issue that the noble and learned Lord has raised. However, he will know that the UK is sending its aircraft carrier, HMS “Prince of Wales”, up into the north Atlantic with allies and friends in order to assert the rule of law in and around the seas. I think that is an important statement of where the UK Government, with our friends and allies, are with respect to all of this as well. Clearly, we work with others to ensure that, wherever the shadow fleet operates, we do all we can to ensure that we take the necessary action to prevent it happening.

[Lord Walney (CB)]

My Lords, this high-level procedure obviously took place in UK national waters. Do the Government believe that there would be legal justification for taking similar action against a sanctioned vessel in international waters? If the Minister is not clear, might he write to me?

[Lord Coaker (Lab)]

My understanding from the briefing that I had is that the action took place in international waters, and then it was brought back into UK territorial waters. An important point to make, just as a statement, is that the English Channel, although called the English Channel, is an international waterway; it is perfectly legal for legal ships to operate and to travel—even for warships, frankly—to go through the English Channel, providing their intent is not malign. That is an important comment for us to make. Then, of course, we have the territorial waters of our own country and the territorial waters of others in Europe. But as a specific answer to my noble friend’s question, my understanding is that the interdiction took place outside our territorial waters and the ship was then brought back into our territorial waters.