Arabic version: قائد السفينة متهم بعد اعتراض ناقلة روسية في القناة الإنجليزية

The captain of a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, intercepted by Royal Marine Commandos in the English Channel, has been charged with contravening sanctions. Ajay Pant, a 38-year-old Indian national, is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday.

According to BBC News, the tanker, named MV Smyrtos, is currently being held off the coast of Weymouth with 24 crew members still on board. The National Crime Agency (NCA) stated that Pant was charged with “contravening Reg 46Z9B Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 by directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil/oil products from Russia to a third country.”

The interception took place during a six-hour operation that involved commandos fast-roping onto the tanker from a helicopter, with support from the Royal Air Force. This marked the first operation of its kind conducted by UK armed forces.

The UK has sanctioned over 500 vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, which is utilized to transport oil despite sanctions imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis emphasized in the Commons that the operation sends a clear signal to Russia, asserting that the UK and its allies are prepared to act against the Russian war machine.

Jarvis highlighted the significance of enforcing sanctions, stating that the revenue generated from sanctioned oil “is bankrolling Putin’s brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps fund the missiles and drones used to kill Ukrainians in their home, destroy their infrastructure and break their will.”