ALL Russian-linked boats have been effectively banned from landing in Britain, it has been announced. 

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said he has written to all UK ports to ask they deny access to Russian flagged, registered or operated vessels.

He was facing calls to bar a Kremlin-linked oil tanker from docking in Orkney on Tuesday. 

Nicola Sturgeon asked Shapps to bar the boat, owned by Russian firm Sovcomflot, in a call on Sunday night.

She told the Press and Journal she had raised concerns directly with the Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.

Allowing the tanker, owned by one of the world's biggest petrol shipping companies, a berth in Scotland would have gone against the “spirit” of heavy sanctions imposed against Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine.

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On a visit to Aberdeen on Monday, Sturgeon told the paper: “Let me be blunt, I don’t want that tanker to dock in Orkney tomorrow.

“This is an issue that is reserved to the UK Government. This tanker is majority-owned by a Russian-government controlled company.

“It would go against – if not the letter then certainly the spirit of the sanctions – and I think it would send the wrong message to the people in Ukraine and across the world right now.

“It is a matter for the UK Government. I personally had discussions last night with Grant Shapps, the UK Secretary of State for Transport.”

She added: “To be fair to him, he agreed with me about how unacceptable it would be for that tanker to dock as planned and I will continue discussions with him, and his officials, over the course of the day.

“Hopefully we can find a way to stop that happening.”

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There are currently sanctions in force against more than 100 individuals and companies linked to Putin’s regime.

Sturgeon has called for tougher sanctions on Russia in light of last week’s invasion.

In a letter addressed to all British ports, Shapps wrote: "From this point onwards, UK ports are asked not to provide access to any ship which they have reason to believe is: Owned, controlled, chartered, or operated by any person connected with Russia owned, controlled, chartered or operated by designated persons flying the Russian flag registered in Russia.

“We will seek to support UK ports in identifying Russian ships within scope of the above and will communicate directly with relevant ports when we identify ships bound for UK ports who fall within scope of the above."

Shapps' guidance to UK ports is not legally binding and the UK Government confirmed they are "working rapidly to explore a range of measures to restrict access" to Russian ships. 

A spokesman said: “We are already discussing this issue with the Scottish Government and the sanctions being considered are part of a wider package being worked up across the UK Government.”