Breaking News: UK Seizes Russian-Linked Oil Tanker
British forces have seized a Russian-linked oil tanker named Smyrtos in the English Channel on Sunday. The tanker is suspected of violating international sanctions. This operation was confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).
During the operation, officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) arrested an Indian national on suspicion of sanctions offenses. The tanker was carrying 700,000 barrels of Russian oil and was sailing under a Cameroonian flag. It had departed from the Russian Baltic port of Ust-Luga on June 5, heading to Port Said in Egypt.
Royal Marines commandos, supported by military aircraft, boarded the vessel in a predawn raid. The operation lasted six hours, and 24 crew members from Georgia and India remained aboard the vessel, which is now anchored off the Dorset coast.
The seizure marks the first UK-led operation against Russia’s “shadow fleet,” a network of tankers used to transport Russian oil while evading sanctions. Following the raid, at least six other tankers altered their courses away from the English Channel.
Russia has not yet commented on the incident.
