Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of tankers owned by individuals outside Russia which are acting as part of the shadow fleet by transporting sanction-breaking oil shipments.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has now sanctioned 545 ships under its Russia sanctions regulations. Russian oil cargoes carried on ships specified by the UK in the first half of 2025 dropped off by an estimated 28 per cent and were worth approximately $4.5 billion less, comparing prior cargoes to the three months post-specification. Establishing a shadow fleet, including replacing capacity lost to UK and partner sanctions has cost Russia at least $14 billion. Russia's oil export revenues are now at their lowest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the start of last month (December 2025), nearly 180 million barrels of Russian oil were sitting in tankers undelivered - up 28 per cent since August 2025.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the number of ships in the Russian shadow fleet.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has now sanctioned 545 ships under its Russia sanctions regulations. Russian oil cargoes carried on ships specified by the UK in the first half of 2025 dropped off by an estimated 28 per cent and were worth approximately $4.5 billion less, comparing prior cargoes to the three months post-specification. Establishing a shadow fleet, including replacing capacity lost to UK and partner sanctions has cost Russia at least $14 billion. Russia's oil export revenues are now at their lowest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the start of last month (December 2025), nearly 180 million barrels of Russian oil were sitting in tankers undelivered - up 28 per cent since August 2025.
Asked by: Lord West of Spithead (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the monetary value to Russia of sanction-breaking oil carried in the shadow fleet.
Answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington - Minister of State (Development)
The UK has now sanctioned 545 ships under its Russia sanctions regulations. Russian oil cargoes carried on ships specified by the UK in the first half of 2025 dropped off by an estimated 28 per cent and were worth approximately $4.5 billion less, comparing prior cargoes to the three months post-specification. Establishing a shadow fleet, including replacing capacity lost to UK and partner sanctions has cost Russia at least $14 billion. Russia's oil export revenues are now at their lowest since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. At the start of last month (December 2025), nearly 180 million barrels of Russian oil were sitting in tankers undelivered - up 28 per cent since August 2025.
Asked by: Will Forster (Liberal Democrat - Woking)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she plans to review sanctions on Russian assets: and whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of amending Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation licensing rules to require owners to maintain sanctioned properties.
Answered by Stephen Doughty - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We keep our sanctions powers, regimes, designations and measures under review to respond to new developments and changing circumstances.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) may issue general or specific licences on behalf of His Majesty's Treasury to allow activities otherwise prohibited by an asset freeze, such as payments for existing obligations or property maintenance. However, a licence only permits these actions - it does not require the designated person to carry them out. Maintenance or repairs will occur only if they choose to do so.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) review and (b) update the UK’s Defence Contribution in the High North strategy, published in March 2022, to ensure it (i) reflects the Government’s policies and (ii) adequately addresses (A) current and (B) emerging security challenges in the arctic region.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) sets out the Government's approach to deterring threats and strengthening security in the Euro-Atlantic area, including the Arctic and High North. The region features strongly in the SDR's strategic thinking, particularly in relation to the Royal Navy's Atlantic Bastion concept (which includes securing the North Atlantic and adjacent waters), the importance of NATO's Northern Flank, our co-operation through the Joint Expeditionary Force and bilaterally with nations such as Norway, and the anticipated geostrategic shifts due to climate change, including increased accessibility and competition in the High North.
The Government continues to monitor developments in the Arctic region closely, including Russia's military posture and capabilities in the region. This is achieved through a combination of intelligence assessments, engagement with allies, and participation in multinational fora such as the JEF and NATO.
NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Asked by: Ben Obese-Jecty (Conservative - Huntingdon)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what a) UK and b) other NATO forces are currently deployed in Greenland.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The UK does not currently have forces deployed in Greenland. Denmark is responsible for the defence of Greenland and maintains a military presence.
NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority for Euro-Atlantic Security, which is why, alongside our NATO Allies, we have increased our defence spending, presence and activities to keep the Arctic safe and deter the collective threat we face from Russia.
Asked by: Julian Lewis (Conservative - New Forest East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her policies of the role of (a) Russia and (b) China in (i) supplying military aircraft and other offensive weaponry to and (b) impeding condemnation by the UN Security Council of the military regime in Myanmar.
Answered by Seema Malhotra - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK has sanctioned a number of targets responsible for supplying arms to the military regime since the coup in 2021. In 2022, the UK sanctioned two Russian companies involved in the supply and upkeep of aircraft for the Myanmar Armed Forces. In 2024, the UK issued its 19th round of sanctions, targeting companies involved in the procurement of aviation fuel and equipment to the Myanmar Armed Forces. To date, the UK has imposed sanctions on 10 individuals and entities in connection with the import of aviation fuel.
The UK convened the UN Security Council (UNSC) on 22 December 2025 to discuss the Myanmar crisis, and condemned recent airstrikes on civilians and civilian infrastructure. A summary of the session is available on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/elections-under-the-current-circumstances-in-myanmar-risk-provoking-further-violence-uk-statement-on-myanmar
The UK continues to use its penholder role to shine a spotlight on the Myanmar crisis at the UNSC.
Asked by: Graeme Downie (Labour - Dunfermline and Dollar)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what discussions he has had with allies in the High North on the threat posed by Russia’s arctic naval modernisation programme.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Ministry of Defence keeps Russian military capabilities and investment under continuous review. We work closely with our NATO Allies to understand the implications of Russian military capability development for Alliance security. NATO is strengthening its deterrence and defence as a result of the increasing threat from Russia and will continue to adapt as necessary.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask His Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of the total value of Russian Central Bank assets held in the UK.
Answered by Lord Livermore - Financial Secretary (HM Treasury)
Assets belonging to the Central Bank of Russia have been immobilised in the UK and across the G7 through sanctions.
It is important any decision to release detail about the assets is taken on a collective G7 basis.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of hybrid threats from the Russian Federation on defence policy.
Answered by Al Carns - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence) (Minister for Veterans)
The Strategic Defence Review highlights the breadth and depth of threats posed by hybrid activity.
Russia remains the most pressing and immediate threat and it seeks to take advantage of the difficulty of attributing hybrid attacks through covert methods and proxies.
Many hybrid threats are not military in nature and therefore a whole-of-Government and whole-of-society approach is essential. The Ministry of Defence works in close collaboration with other Government Departments and with our allies and partners to address shared threats below the threshold of armed conflict.