Moscow has sent a signal to Dublin that possible attempts by the Irish military to board ships under the pretext of combating violations of anti-Russian sanctions will have serious consequences for the initiators. This was reported to Izvestia by Russian Ambassador to Ireland Yuri Filatov.

“The Irish have been warned that attempts to carry out such acts of piracy will have the most serious consequences for them,” the diplomat stressed in a conversation with Izvestia.

The reason for the warning was the amendments to the 1954 Defense Act, which entered into force at the end of July. The document gives the Irish military the right to board any ships under the pretext of monitoring the sanctions regime and protecting the environment.

According to Filatov, the capabilities of the Irish Navy are small. The Irish Times previously noted that out of eight patrol ships, only two or three go to sea at the same time due to a lack of crews; often only one vessel is on duty.

At the beginning of the year, the Irish Government presented the first national maritime security strategy. The plan implies closer cooperation with NATO states to protect their own waters.

As The Irish Times wrote, citing military and civilian officials, Dublin decided to modernize the fleet due to growing concern about Russia’s actions. The goal of the transformation is to transform the “symbolic fleet” into a territorial defense force capable of defending the country, as well as countering espionage and possible sabotage.

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