Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what assessment he has made of the threat to UK offshore energy assets from Russian military activities.

Russia poses a long-term, strategic threat to Euro-Atlantic security and the UK is taking measures to combat these threats with our Allies. The maritime domain is increasingly contested. Hostile states and non-state actors pose a growing threat to our critical infrastructure, including energy infrastructure.

The Ministry of Defence constantly monitors activity within UK waters and its Economic Exclusion Zone to counter and deter detected threats. British warships frequently patrol and shadow foreign vessels throughout the UK marine area, including through the North Sea and increased surveillance of offshore oil and gas installations. This includes the Atlantic Bastion concept – a plan to scale and accelerate new and existing capabilities to defend underwater infrastructure.

This is part of a comprehensive and integrated approach to deterring and defending against the range of threats we face.