UK Defends Seizure of 1 Russian Tanker as Putin Threatens Response in Kind

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 13

Royal Marines boarded the MT Smyrtos in the English Channel in June and forced it to anchor off Weymouth, in what Britain called a first-of-its-kind operation against a sanctioned shadow-fleet tanker.
Ajay Pant, the vessel's captain, has been charged with breaching Russian sanctions by directly or indirectly supplying prohibited Russian oil, which London says helps fund Moscow's war in Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin, speaking during Pacific naval drills, called Western seizures "piracy and banditry" and warned Russia could retaliate "wherever we deem it necessary," while a Pacific Fleet commander said Moscow could inspect and detain unfriendly states' vessels.
Britain said the boarding was fully lawful under international rules and framed it as part of a wider campaign against Russia's shadow fleet, which the UK says numbers more than 700 ships carrying 75% of sanctioned oil.
Pressure on that fleet has widened across Europe: more than 630 vessels are now under EU sanctions, and nine suspected sanctions-busting tankers have been seized around the bloc since the start of 2026.