Royal Marine Commandos boarded and seized the Russian shadow fleet tanker MT Smyrtos in the English Channel in June, and it remains anchored off Weymouth while its captain, Ajay Pant, faces charges of breaching Russian oil sanctions. Vladimir Putin, overseeing Pacific naval drills, called the seizure 'piracy and banditry' and warned Western countries he would 'respond in kind,' not necessarily in the same waters.
The UK government insists its forces acted 'in full accordance with international law,' distinguishing itself from Russia's fleet of more than 700 vessels the Ministry of Defence says carries 75% of the country's sanctioned oil. A Russian naval commander accused Britain and France of running their own shadow fleets, while the EU said it would not be deterred, noting more than 630 vessels are now sanctioned and nine shadow fleet tankers have been seized across the bloc this year.
Most of the Smyrtos's 25 crew members, 22 in total, were repatriated in July, while the vessel and its remaining obligations sit with the ship's owner as the standoff between Moscow and Western navies over sanctions enforcement continues.
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