( CNN ) -- Russian law enforcement officers raided the Russian offices of oil giant BP , the company said Wednesday , blasting what it called `` illegal '' interference in its work . The company issued a statement about the raid , saying there were `` no legitimate grounds for such a raid , '' and that the court decision it was based on should not be allowed to stand . The raid is related to a long-running battle between BP and Russian partner , TNK-BP , over oil exploration in the Russian Arctic . It comes a day after ExxonMobil signed a deal with Russian oil company Rosneft that includes Arctic exploration , a blow to BP . BP said the raid targeted a part of the company that was not involved in the dispute with TNK . It was ordered by a Russian court in the city of Tyumen , BP said . `` If the Tyumen Court decision is allowed to stand , it means any party can raid a company 's premises at will and examine all its documents , '' BP said . The Russian Federal Court Bailiff Service , which reportedly conducted the raid , did not immediately answer CNN requests for comment or issue a statement . CNN 's Kendra Petersen and Maxim Tkachenko contributed to this report .
NEW : It comes after ExxonMobil signs a deal with Russian company Rosneft , a blow to BP . BP blasts what it calls Russia 's `` illegal '' interference in its work . The raid is related to a long-running battle over oil exploration in the Russian Arctic .