Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 16 October 2026 to question 35675 on Russia: Shipping, whether his department made an assessment of the need to interdict the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, Leruo, off the coast of Shetland in late-October 2026 en route to North America.

The Royal Navy with the Joint Maritime Security Centre keeps maritime activity in UK waters under constant review. Any enforcement action is considered on a case‑by‑case basis, in accordance with international law and domestic legislation.

We will not provide a running commentary or get into details of our decision-making process as this could compromise our ability to successfully take action against sanctioned ships, only benefitting our adversaries.