The passage of a Russian tanker through the English Channel has heightened the attention of European military forces.
The Russian military tanker General Skobelev has once again passed through the English Channel and the North Sea under heightened surveillance by European naval forces. The ship regularly sails between the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean, providing logistical support to the Russian armed forces, and is well known to observers of shipping in the region.
This time, the transit took place amid heightened tensions between Russia and Europe. While passing through the North Sea, the tanker was accompanied by the Russian Navy frigate Boikiy. In response, the Royal Netherlands Navy dispatched the patrol vessel GSS Galatea, which monitored Skobelev as it headed north. This is the second time in a week that Galatea has escorted Russian ships in one of Europe's busiest shipping lanes.
The Dutch Ministry of Defence said that such an operation demonstrates vigilance and is aimed at preventing possible sabotage of underwater infrastructure. The Galatea is a small, unarmed civilian vessel chartered by the military specifically for monitoring and escort missions. Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Breekmans stressed that Russian ships could be used to gather intelligence and map critical infrastructure on the seabed.
The increased attention to the General Skobelev coincided with the deterioration of relations between London and Moscow over Russia's so-called shadow fleet. These are underinsured and often outdated tankers with unclear legal status, which are used to export Russian oil in circumvention of sanctions and often ignore safety requirements. The UK, together with its European partners, is increasingly discussing tougher control mechanisms for such vessels.
Last week, British Home Secretary Yvette Cooper visited Finnish forces training in ship inspection and said that London was ready to consider joint measures to strengthen control of the shadow fleet. At the same time, Russian Ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin warned that Russia could respond by escorting such tankers with military ships, threatening consequences for London's actions.
Source and photo: Maritime-executive
Russia, Europe, Netherlands, Great Britain, shadow fleet
