Captain of Russian shadow fleet tanker intercepted in Channel charged

The captain of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker stopped by Royal Marine Commandos in the English Channel on Sunday has been charged with breaching sanctions, the National Crime Agency said.

Indian national Ajay Pant, 38, is expected to appear in Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

There are 24 crew members on the ship called MV Smyrtos, which is held off the coast of Weymouth.

The NCA said the ship’s captain was accused of “breaching Reg 46Z9B Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 by directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil/petroleum products from Russia to a third country.”

Sunday’s six-hour operation, in which commandos quickly descended from a helicopter onto a tanker and was supported by the Royal Air Force, was the first of its kind carried out by the UK armed forces.

Earlier on Monday, Transport Minister Heidi Alexander issued an order formally preventing MV Smyrtos from leaving the UK.

Russia uses hundreds of oil tankers, known as its “shadow fleet”, sanctioned by Britain and other Western states over its invasion of Ukraine.

More than 500 such ships have been approved by the UK, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in March that British armed forces “are now able to board approved ships passing through our waters”.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Monday, Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis said the operation sent “a clear signal to Russia that Britain and its allies can and will act against the Russian war machine”.

He continued: “Sanctioned oil funds Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps finance missiles and drones used to kill Ukrainians in their homes, destroy their infrastructure, and break their will.”

Jarvis told the House of Commons that Britain was “not seeking to escalate tensions but will always take the necessary steps to enforce UK sanctions”.

He also said that the Georgian and Indian crew of the seized ship “assisted the NCA.”