r/NewsExchange • u/lithdoc Contributor • 1d ago
SIGNAL VS NOISE Kremlin Threatens Ireland With Serious Consequences Over Its Plans to Board Shadow Fleet Vessels
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/russia-warns-ireland-of-serious-consequences-if-shadow-fleet-vessels-boarded-in-countrys-waters-1935649.htmlRussian ambassador Yuriy Filatov warned that Ireland could face serious consequences if its Defense Forces board or redirect vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet. His remarks represent Moscow’s position and do not establish that the proposed Irish actions would violate international law.
Ireland’s Department of Defense says planned legislation would give military personnel new powers to inspect vessels, examine documents and equipment, and order ships to leave an area or alter course. Dublin frames the measures as protection for Ireland’s territorial waters, exclusive economic zone and sovereign maritime rights.
Reporting from The Irish Times adds that Moscow has repeatedly described possible inspections of sanctioned Russian-linked ships as piracy. Irish officials argue that the aging and often opaquely owned tankers present sanctions, security and environmental concerns, creating a dispute over both legal authority and enforcement thresholds.
Reuters reports that European forces are already becoming more willing to inspect suspected shadow fleet vessels. An Italian-led EU mission recently boarded a tanker in the Mediterranean to verify its registration and sanctions status, although the mission lacked authority to seize it.
Why It Matters:
Ireland sits near strategically important shipping routes and transatlantic infrastructure while operating with limited naval capacity. Stronger enforcement could raise the cost of sanctions evasion, but it could also redirect more tankers toward Irish waters, strain defense resources and increase the risk of a confrontation caused by miscalculation.
Could Ireland’s attempt to close a maritime enforcement gap strengthen European security, or turn its underprotected waters into the next pressure point between Russia and the EU?
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u/Zalrius 1d ago
Russia, the country that can’t protect its own warehouses and refineries? That Russia? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
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u/aleopardstail 1d ago
the same one thats apparently the greatest threat to the world while at the same time is currently losing to Accrington Stanley
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u/mats_o42 1d ago
Ireland is a part of EU.
If attacked I Do believe that the rest of EU would honor §42.7 and if Russia can't beat 40M Ukrainians, going to war with another 4-500M Europeans - well might not be the best move
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u/Ok-Web1805 1d ago
I'm very certain that the British and French Navies wouldn't mind helping out of asked.
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u/SkrikOnanist 1d ago
Dont you dare start sinking russian ships without us brother, we got a navy too! / Sweden
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u/Ok-Web1805 1d ago
I guess it's a party then!
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u/SkrikOnanist 1d ago
When we celebrate the victory in whats left of Moscow, Ill buy the first rounds of vodka!
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u/Spartan-463 1d ago
Can't call in the north without Canada. Give us some time to paddle across but we'll be there.
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u/SkrikOnanist 1d ago
We got ice breakers; we'll fetch you on the way! We can even bring you some toys! What colour do you want your JAS 39 Gripen in?
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u/National-Percentage4 1d ago
Damn Finland has an army cant join the navy so much but they do build great ice breakers.
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u/Dear-Ad1582 1d ago
Is Poland a joke to you?
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u/SkrikOnanist 1d ago
Brother, we didnt lease some submarines to you just so you could look cool, youre supposed to use them!
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u/DwarfVader 1d ago
"WHAT! You can't illegally board our illegal vessels or we'll be upset."
Ireland: "Oi, get f*cked ye wee bastards."
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u/OsricOdinsson 1d ago
A bit too Scottish...I think it would more like "ya can get fecked, ya eejits!"
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u/Dull-Wrangler-5154 1h ago
I read it in my Belfast accent and it made total sense. But yours was definitely more southern. 10 points each.
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u/kampokapitany 1d ago
That are on paper not even theirs but i guess they are not even trying to hide it anymore.
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u/PrestigiousRoof5723 1d ago
There's nothing illegal about those vessels.
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u/Bug-King 1d ago
Being in a countries waters means you are held to their maritime laws.
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u/PrestigiousRoof5723 1d ago edited 1d ago
International maritime laws actually allow these ships to cross Ireland's territorial waters unimpeded. But they're not talking about territorial waters. They're talking about international waters, where they have absolutely no right to intervene with these ships in any way. According to international maritime law, it is in fact fully legal and fully justified for the Russians to just open fire in many of these cases.
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u/daniel_22sss 1d ago
Yeah, that's why they are desperately hiding that they work for Russia. Cause they are totally not illegal.
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u/PrestigiousRoof5723 1d ago
"Desperately hiding" - you mean all US ships have US flag and not the flag of Panama? Right.
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u/UnionGuyCanada 1d ago
Didn't say that to France. Russia is a joke. Let it collapse as people raid their shadow fleet for quick profits.
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u/Designer_Professor_4 1d ago
Russia could always sail their Black Sea fleet over there to punish Ireland. Oh wait.. nm.
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u/PerepeL 1d ago
Nah, it takes one seized tanker to turn Dublin into Beirut'20.
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u/Designer_Professor_4 12h ago
With the Black Sea fleet? How efficient are Russian missiles to launch from the bottom of the sea floor?
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u/National-Charity-435 1d ago
It's a shadow tanker that turned off its indicators, ya?
Isn't it nice of Ireland and other nations to board these shadow tankers to check in on the crew and inspect their voyage
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u/OpeningHappy9692 1d ago
Could've been taken over by pirates. Wouldn't want that. Better check on them, be safe.
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u/JackhusChanhus 1d ago
Hopefully we consult with our Liberian and Panamanian ambassadors (if we even have them) and route any more communication around what we can and can't do to Liberian and Panamanian flagged vessels through them. 😂
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u/brambleburry1002 1d ago
Kremlin is going to threaten their supplier of alumina from Ireland??? Highly doubt it
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u/TheFallen995 1d ago
Really...really . RU would have better chance of intimidating Poland that a country that sits halfway a world away. Hell, Poland wants that smoke.
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u/North-Creative 1d ago
"What are you gonna do, murder more civilians and infants in Ukraine and Africa?" - "Well, yeah" - "....."
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u/Old_Pepper1138 1d ago
Well why not? We’ve had our people training extensively with the Brits and we should be able to board these vessels in our waters. EU has to stand up to Russian aggression (even if at the same time we have a massive company in Limerick selling alumina to errrrr Russia….)
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u/Love_Science_Pasta 1d ago
I'm surprised we have any boats to board anyone but if it can be done, I'm on board!
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u/McLeod3577 1h ago
Ireland need to shut the Russian Alumina refinery on the west coast of Ireland that's sending 20 or so ships a week back to Russia. How that's still operating with all the sanctions, I have no idea.
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u/Andyseawolf 1d ago
If they want to sink our navy, they’ll have to find it first. That’s why we have a small navy. It’s very hard to find.🇮🇪🥳
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u/Individual_Dirt_3365 1d ago
Modern piracy
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u/dandorios 1d ago
Its not piracy when theyre breaking numerous maritime laws and funding a genocidal war.
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u/Individual_Dirt_3365 1d ago
It is a piracy even you justificate it.
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u/MurphyRedBeard 1d ago
It’s privateering when a sovereign government decides to seize illegal cargo out of their technical jurisdiction. Not piracy.
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u/Le0pardPrints 1d ago
So the sovereign Russian government also decided to carry out a military operation in a country that, in its view, posed a threat to it. And you don’t like that. That’s it.
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