Russia will not carry out naval exercises off Cork coast 'as gesture of goodwill'

The Russian navy's missile cruiser, Marshal Ustinov, sails off for an exercise in the Arctic.

Russia will not carry out its naval exercises off the Irish coast, the Minister of Defence has confirmed.

Simon Coveney this evening confirmed that he has received assurances from his Russian counterpart, confirming the controversial drills will not go ahead within Ireland's exclusive economic zone, having been planned to take place approximately 240km off the Cork coast. 

"This week I wrote to my counterpart, the Minister of Defence of Russia, to request a reconsideration of naval exercises off the Irish coast. 

"This evening I received a letter confirming the Russian exercises will be relocated outside of Ireland’s EEZ. I welcome this response," Mr Coveney said.

Mr Coveney said he had been in regular contact with the Russian ambassador to Ireland over the last week and that his job was to ensure that there was government to government contact at the highest levels and through the appropriate channels on this issue.

He said he wrote to his Russian counterpart, Army General Sergey Shoygu, in recent days outlining the Irish state‘s concerns in relation to the live-fire naval exercises in Ireland’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) - the first exercises by a foreign military in at least 20-years that have required an Irish maritime warning - particularly in the context of the Russia-Ukraine tensions.

He said he also outlined the state‘s concerns around the impact the exercises could have on Irish fishing grounds and on marine ecology and asked that the Russian navy consider postponing or relocating the exercises.

He said he was delighted to get a positive response from his Russian counterpart this afternoon confirming that the naval drills would be relocated outside Ireland’s EEZ.

It is not yet known where the exercises will take place but Mr Coveney said that is now a matter for the Russians.

“This is a good result for diplomacy,” he said.

In a statement from the Russian ambassador to Ireland, Yury Filatov said the decision was a "gesture of goodwill."

"In response to the request from the Irish government as well as from the Irish South and West Fish Producer's Organisation the Minister of Defence of the Russian Federation Sergey Shoigu has made a decision, as a gesture of goodwill, to relocate the exercises by the Russian Navy, planned for February 3-8, outside the Irish exclusive economic zone, with the aim not to hinder fishing activities by the Irish vessels in the traditional fishing areas," Mr Filatov said.

Irish fishers had planned to peacefully disrupt Russia's naval plans as they wanted to protect biodiversity and marine life.