Russian Shadow Fleet

With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I will update the House on UK operational activity against the Russian shadow fleet.

Before I begin, I wish to take this opportunity to pay tribute to my right hon. Friend the Member for Rawmarsh and Conisbrough (John Healey), who led the Department through a period of growing instability with clarity of purpose and sure judgment. I thank him sincerely for all that he did as Secretary of State. He leaves office safe in the knowledge that our armed forces are better prepared and better supported than when he assumed it.

This is my first appearance in the House since my appointment as Secretary of State for Defence. It is a privilege and a responsibility beyond all measure, not least because this is a moment of challenge for our nation, and it is my job to make sure that we rise to meet that moment. It has been some time since I left the armed forces, and the tactics, technology and threats have changed beyond recognition. What have remained constant, however, are the professionalism, courage and extraordinary skill of our servicemen and women.

Those virtues were exemplified in full yesterday in the English channel. In the early hours of the morning, 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight, Royal Marine commandos fast-roped under the cover of darkness on to the deck of the Smyrtos, a 244-metre oil tanker, which at the time of interception was travelling at 10 knots. Within a matter of minutes, our Marines had seized control of the vessel without resistance. They worked closely in this operation with specialist officers from the National Crime Agency and were supported by aircraft from the maritime air group, including Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat helicopters, an RAF P-8, Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland and minehunter HMS Ledbury. I take this opportunity to recognise the vital contribution of the Home Office’s border security command maritime teams.

This was a highly complex operation that was executed with remarkable precision. Lasting six hours, this Royal Navy-led interdiction was the first of its kind for UK forces, and was the result of careful and meticulous planning across multiple Government Departments and agencies. All military and law enforcement personnel are safely accounted for. I know that the whole House will join me in expressing the deepest respect and sincere thanks to the hundreds of people who were involved.

The vessel is now secured outside of port limits at Weymouth anchorage. A 38-year-old Indian national has been arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences. All other 24 crew members remain on board and are assisting the NCA. This is a live criminal investigation, and further updates will be provided at the appropriate moment.

In the days leading up to this interdiction, UK armed forces, supported by our allies, including France, to whom I am very grateful, closely tracked and monitored the vessel on the grounds that it was suspected of using a false flag. This was a vessel that was sanctioned by the UK, sailing without nationality and transporting sanctioned Russian oil. I can confirm to the House that this operation was conducted in accordance with international law, including the United Nations convention on the law of the sea, and the relevant domestic legislation.

I call the shadow Secretary of State.

I thank the Defence Secretary for advance sight of his statement and welcome him to his new post. He had a distinguished military career and, as Security Minister, will have had a foretaste of the operational demands of his new job. I will be turning to the circumstances that brought him to that position shortly, but we wish him well in his position. I also welcome the new Minister for Veterans, the hon. Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr Bailey), to his post and welcome his predecessor, the hon. Member for North East Derbyshire (Louise Sandher-Jones), to her new role as Armed Forces Minister.

I also pay personal tribute to the previous Secretary of State. On the day he resigned, I said that he was an honourable man who had done an honourable thing, and I meant it. Whatever our political differences, I respect the dignity with which he left Government—on a point of principle, in the national interest.

On the seizure of the Russian shadow fleet vessel, the Opposition welcome this action and the way it was conducted. Throughout his time in office, the previous Secretary of State and I maintained a rock-solid consensus in support of Ukraine, standing shoulder to shoulder against the Russian threat. Whenever he announced action against Russian naval activity in our territorial waters, such as against Yantar, I welcomed it, because we must stand strong against the serious threat posed by Putin. That is why it is important that this vessel was seized, but I do have one particular concern.

Back in March, the Prime Minister announced that British armed forces are now able to board sanctioned vessels that are passing through our waters, but the BBC reports that since then in at least 94 instances shadow fleet vessels have crossed into UK territorial waters without a single one being interdicted by our armed forces. Until this weekend, almost three months after the policy was announced, no boarding of these vessels had taken place. What changed?

I am grateful to the shadow Secretary of State for his welcome. I was pleased to have the opportunity to speak to him on Friday evening. I do want to work constructively with him and colleagues on both sides of the House. I said in my opening remarks that I believe very strongly that the defence of our nation should be a shared endeavour. That is always the approach I have taken in this House, and I very much hope that it is the approach that we can continue with. I am also grateful to him for his support for yesterday’s action, as well as the cross-party consensus that I am, as I am sure he is, genuinely proud of with regard to Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine.

I understand why the hon. Member asked about the timing of the operation, but I can say to him—and he will know this from his own time as a Minister in the Department—that the activity that was brilliantly and bravely executed yesterday was the result of weeks of military and operational planning. I know that he will understand very well that the UK has played a critical role in the interdiction of a number of shadow fleet ships in recent months, including through close co-operation with our US and French counterparts. The Prime Minister, as he mentioned, made clear back in March our intention to interdict shadow fleet vessels at a time and place of our choosing, and that is what we chose to do.

The shadow Defence Secretary mentioned the former Minister for the Armed Forces, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham Selly Oak (Al Carns). I was saving him up, not least because he is someone that I hold in the very highest of regard. He is an honourable and gallant Member, and it is very widely recognised that he has provided outstanding service to our country in the most difficult circumstances that anyone could ever imagine. I am beyond proud that he sits on this side of the House, and I look forward to listening to him and working closely with him in the future.

May I welcome the Secretary of State to his place? We are looking forward to welcoming him to Aldershot and Farnborough for the national Armed Forces Day celebrations. On behalf of my constituents, I thank the British personnel involved in the operation in the channel for their immense bravery and professionalism. This was a major blow to Putin’s regime, and it underscores the growing Russian threat to European security. Everyone knows about NATO article 5, but the lesser-known NATO article 3 is our commitment to preparedness. Does the Secretary of State agree that we need a total-Government approach to delivering NATO article 3, with every Minister clear on how they can help us to be prepared?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, not least because she has been a doughty champion of the garrison town that is Aldershot. She speaks with great passion and knowledge about these matters. She is right to raise concerns about the threat that we face from Russia; it is a threat that I have spent the last two years dealing with. She is also right about the need for a whole-of-Government approach. I championed that approach in my previous role across the Home Office and Cabinet Office. Now, within the Ministry of Defence, I look forward to working with my colleagues across Government to ensure we have the appropriate defences to guard against the threats that we undoubtedly face from Russia.

I call the Liberal Democrat spokesperson.

I thank the Secretary of State for advance sight of his statement, and I join others in welcoming him to his new role.

May I start by associating myself with colleagues’ remarks in thanking our Royal Marines? Through their bravery and skill, they have denied Vladimir Putin the fossil fuel profits that he depends on—profits which, without their intervention, would have gone straight to Russia’s frontline against Ukraine. Their courageous action has already had a chilling effect on other shadow fleet vessels, with reports suggesting that at least six ships altered course following the interdiction of the Smyrtos.

Now that we have taken this step—albeit several months after the Prime Minister initially promised—will the Secretary of State commit to stopping more shadow fleet vessels and ensure that this is not just a one-off? The Liberal Democrats believe that we should not just be stopping these vessels but ensuring that the seizure of their cargo can be used to fund Ukraine’s defence. We have already called for the £30 billion of frozen Russian assets across Britain to be used to support Kyiv’s war effort. We need to do the same with shadow fleet fuel. Will the Secretary of State commit to seizing and selling the sanctioned oil transported by the Smyrtos and selling the resulting funds to Ukraine, and will he do the same for any future interdictions?

I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for the very constructive tone of his comments, and I am keen to work with him and his Liberal Democrat colleagues on these matters. He is absolutely right to raise the deterrent effect. The Prime Minister’s announcement back in March has been extremely helpful in that regard. I understand and agree with the sentiment of the hon. Gentleman’s points. He will understand that because there is an ongoing, live criminal investigation, I am not able to say anything more about the specifics regarding this vessel and the oil contained within it.

The hon. Gentleman made important points about sanctions and the need to ensure that we are working across Government. I can give him the assurances that he seeks. That absolutely will be our approach. It is very important that we as a Department work very closely with our colleagues in the Treasury, and I am very pleased to be joined on the Front Bench today by the Chancellor. I also discussed these matters with the Foreign Secretary earlier on today.

I thank the Secretary of State for his statement. I pay tribute to our armed forces and the NCA for successfully intercepting the Russian oil tanker off the coast of Weymouth and Portland yesterday. As has been mentioned, this was the first British-led operation of its kind, and it delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, which threatens our collective security in Europe.

Regarding next steps, can the Secretary of State reassure my constituents that any potential environmental and public safety risks have been fully considered and that the right specialist teams are on hand to assist if needed? While I fully appreciate the complexity of such an operation, may I politely urge the Secretary of State to maintain this posture and exploit further opportunities to degrade Putin’s war machine and scuttle Russia’s shadow fleet?

I am grateful to my hon. Friend, who has an important and close constituency interest in these matters, for his comments. I give him the assurances that he seeks. He raised a number of important points. Given his close interest in these matters, I suggest that he has a briefing from the Minister for the Armed Forces, who has just made that offer to him. We look forward to working closely with him on this.

May I wish the new Secretary of State the best of luck in his new post and express the hope that the appearance of the Chancellor of the Exchequer alongside him on his first outing is not too symbolic of what has perhaps been going on in backrooms behind the Treasury?

On the question of the seizure of the ships, does the Secretary of State agree that there is a possibility that Russia may in response start to think about escorting such ships by means of warships? This would, of course, expose Russia’s hand very much more clearly, but it does bring a whole element of possible escalation into play, including the possibility of Ukrainian strikes against those ships. We all know how successful Ukraine has been in the Black sea, and it might end up doing something similar in the Baltic sea and beyond.

I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman, as I always am, for his sage counsel on these matters; he has been talking about them for very many years. He referenced the presence of the Chancellor on the Front Bench. The Chancellor is someone who cares very deeply about our national security; that is why she is here—to lend that support.

The right hon. Gentleman understandably raised a very important point about the risk and threat of retaliatory action from Russia. He will know, because he and I have discussed it on many occasions, that I have spent the last two years thinking very carefully about that particular point. Of course, we take every measure and use all the tools at our disposal to guard against that, but I think he will agree that, ultimately, the activity we saw in the English channel yesterday was the right one. We have to stand together against Russia in support of Ukraine, and that is what this Government will do.

I will start by praising 42 Commando for the planning and execution of what could have been a difficult operation. Today the Ukrainian Speaker, Ruslan Stefanchuk, visited us in Parliament, and the all-party group on Ukraine hosted him. He said that he hoped to see further action on the shadow fleet, including the Arc7, Arctic ready, liquefied natural gas tankers, which are still unsanctioned by the United Kingdom. I also wrote to Minister Doughty, who responded to me—

Order. The hon. Gentleman has been here long enough to know that we do not refer to Ministers by their name. Could he perhaps make sure that his question finishes briefly?

I wrote to the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Stephen Doughty), about the remaining licences for Russian fossil fuels—[Interruption.] And here he is. He said that those licences would be ending in January 2027. Now that the strait of Hormuz is open, could that be finished earlier, because another six months of Russian profiteering from the UK is not acceptable?