Britain does not have the firepower to protect its own cargo ships from potential Russian hijackings in the Indo-Pacific, defence planners have warned. Concerns have grown after Vladimir Putin urged his Navy to 'detain' any European ships in response to Europe's crackdown on Russia's shadow fleet.
Navy 'reduced and reduced'
Admiral Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy, told the Telegraph: 'Our Navy has been reduced and reduced and reduced and we do not have enough ships to fulfil our role to look after global shipping. It's extraordinary that successive governments have allowed us to reduce our Navy in such a way. The patrol ships are there to show a presence. But going back 30 years ago, there were four or five ships that would be steaming around here, not just two.'
Sir Ben Wallace, former Conservative defence secretary, told the Telegraph: 'The first response to Putin's comments should be to work with allies such as France to ensure we burden-share across the globe, escort or protection duties.'
Government defends tanker seizure
The UK government has continued to defend seizing the Russian tanker last month despite fears it could spark wider issues for British ships. The Ministry of Defence cited Russia's fleet of hundreds of sanctioned vessels, which carry oil around the world. By intercepting one of these ships, the MoD said, it hit a 'critical lifeline for the Kremlin in sustaining Russia's illegal war in Ukraine.'
In July, Keir Starmer announced that a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker was intercepted in the English Channel. The SMYRTOS vessel has been anchored off the English south coast and monitored since the seizure.
Shadow fleet used for drone attacks
Earlier this summer, Russia launched hundreds of drones and covert UAVs across Britain and Europe from their shadow fleet in preparation for a future conflict. The International Institute of Strategic Studies issued a report in which they found that Putin's shadow fleet ships sent drones into Britain and Europe, targeting airports, bases and nuclear sites.
Among the sites affected by the spy drones were RAF Fairford, Feltwell, Lakenheath and Mildenhall, and dozens of sites across continental Europe. 'We assess it is likely that Russian-linked vessels and the 'shadow fleet' were used as launch or recovery platforms for UAVs as part of the Kremlin's wider unconventional war on Europe,' they warned.
