Key facts
- The captain of the Russian shadow fleet tanker MV Smyrtos, Ajay Pant, has been charged with contravening sanctions.
- The vessel was intercepted by Royal Marine Commandos in the English Channel.
- Pant is an Indian national and is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court.
- The UK has sanctioned over 500 Russian shadow fleet vessels.
- Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis stated the operation sends a clear signal to Russia.
The captain of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, the MV Smyrtos, has been charged with contravening sanctions after being intercepted by UK armed forces in the English Channel. Ajay Pant, a 38-year-old Indian national, is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
The interception operation, which involved Royal Marine Commandos fast-roping from a helicopter and support from the Royal Air Force, was the first of its kind carried out by UK armed forces. The National Crime Agency confirmed Pant was charged with "contravening Reg 46Z9B Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019" for allegedly supplying prohibited oil from Russia to a third country.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has issued a formal order preventing the MV Smyrtos from leaving UK waters. The vessel is currently held off the coast of Weymouth, with its 24 crew members, who are Georgian and Indian nationals, assisting the NCA. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis stated that the operation sends a clear signal to Russia that the UK and its allies can and will act against the Russian war machine, emphasizing that sanctioned oil helps fund Russia's war in Ukraine. The UK has sanctioned over 500 Russian shadow fleet vessels, which are used to circumvent Western sanctions imposed over Russia's invasion of Ukraine.