Moscow claims UK is plotting mass raids on its fleet of tankers to create ‘ecological catastrophe'
The attacks would be designed to look like accidents, the SVR said, so the UK and the West could claim that the ships were a danger, and move to restrict their movement.
An ecological catastrophe in international waters is being prepared
'British intelligence services are planning to use Nato allies to launch a mass raid on the 'shadow fleet'; for this purpose, an ecological catastrophe in international waters is being prepared,' the SVR report claimed.
It suggested the UK planned to commission Ukrainian special forces to sink a vessel in 'one of the bottlenecks of sea communication'.
However, the report is likely to raise concerns that Russia is preparing its own 'false flag' − an operation designed to look like an attack − to justify an act of war.
Western governments have previously been accused of planning attacks on Russia's liquefied natural gas ports or ageing fleet of tankers, in what could be considered an attempt to widen its war with Ukraine to Nato nations.
The UK is often on the receiving end of such allegations as Moscow seeks to deter its support for Kyiv.
It is also understood the Kremlin uses this narrative to potentially shift the blame of any oil leaks that may be caused by any one of its ill-maintained vessels.
The US and EU sanctions regime against Russia's shadow fleet has started to seriously affect its operations.
Moscow has previously signalled its anger at the growing restrictions on the vessels
According to the Brookings Institute, a US think-tank, the volume of oil carried on its vessels has fallen from over 50 million barrels a month to less than 20 million a month since the start of 2025.
Moscow has previously signalled its anger at the growing restrictions on the vessels by escorting them with military jets, the first time it explicitly acknowledged the shadow fleet as linked to its national security.
The SVR report says: 'The impetus for such a campaign, according to London's plan, should be given by a resonant incident with one or several tankers.'
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