UK defends seizing shadow fleet tanker after Putin threat

What the report says

The UK government has defended the seizure of a Russian-linked oil tanker in the English Channel after President Vladimir Putin threatened to “respond in kind” to what he called Western seizures of Russian vessels. According to BBC World News, Royal Marines Commandos intercepted and boarded the MT Smyrtos in June, then diverted it to anchor off Weymouth in a first-of-its-kind operation aimed at disrupting a sanctioned tanker.

The vessel’s captain, Ajay Pant, has been charged with breaching Russian sanctions and accused of helping supply or deliver prohibited Russian oil. The UK government said the boarding was carried out in full accordance with international law, and argued that Britain is targeting shadow fleet vessels whose activity supports Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Ministry of Defence says Russia uses a large fleet of ageing tankers, often with unclear ownership or insurance, to move oil outside sanctions controls.

Putin’s remarks came during naval drills in the Pacific, where he criticized Britain and other Western countries for what he described as piracy and banditry. Russian officials also claimed they could detain vessels from unfriendly states. The exchange adds to a wider dispute between Russia and European governments over maritime enforcement as sanctions on Russian energy continue. The BBC notes that the EU has increased pressure on shadow fleet shipping, and that several tankers suspected of sanctions evasion have been seized or detained in Europe this year.