The escort of Russian ships by warships helps protect them from seizure. This was stated by Russian Presidential Aide Nikolai Patrushev.
The fact that our ships [escort] certainly helps.
It should be noted that this is the first confirmation at the level of officials that military sailors escort merchant ships.
Foreign media and reports from NATO military departments have consistently stated since spring and summer 2026 that they have recorded Russian Navy warships near tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet".
Russian President Vladimir Putin later warned of readiness to respond symmetrically to "state terrorism".
On August 29, the Royal Navy of Great Britain stated that the anti-submarine ship "Admiral Levchenko" Project 1155 and the frigate "Neustrashimy" Project 11540 escorted Russian merchant ships "General Skobelev" and Sparta through the North Sea and the English Channel.