Captain of Russian shadow fleet ship captured by commandos in Channel charged
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web
browser that supports HTML5
video
Up Next
Previous Page
Next Page
The captain of a shadow Russian ship carrying oil captured by commandos is to appear in a British court.
Ajay Pant, 38, will appear at Southampton Magistrates Court tomorrow charged with contravening sanctions.
The Indian national and captain of the Smyrtos, has also been charged with directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil or oil products from Russia to a third country during June 2026, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.
Royal Marine commandos and NCA officers seized the tanker in the Channel early on Sunday in the first UK-led operation to capture a sanctioned vessel.
British armed forces intercepting a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday. (Picture: LPhot Hutchins/MoD Crown copyright/PA Wire)
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking Newsalerts the moment it happens.
The Smyrtos vessel is anchored off Weymouth, in Dorset where it is being monitored.
The 24 Smyrtos crew members, from Georgia and India, remain on board the ship.
Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ carries 75% of the country’s sanctioned oil, according to the MoD, and operates under obscure ownership as a way of getting around international sanctions.
The Smyrtos will be provisionally moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns(Picture: LPhot Hutchins/MoD Crown copyright/PA Wire)
Despite this, the UK has sanctioned more than 500 of its 700 vessels.
In another operation on June 1, the country intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of the shadow fleet with UK support.
Speaking on Sky News hours after the capture, Lisa Nandy said: ‘One of the instructions the prime minister gave early on was that he wanted us to be on the front foot, taking that decisive action in order to keep the country safe and deal with the threat posed by Russia.
‘We’ve been able to successfully do that. I want to pay tribute to all the Navy officers involved in that; it is no small achievement, but it is also a significant blow to the Russians.’
Russian fleet intercepted by UK armed forces in Channel says Keir Starmer News The Prime Minister said the vessel had been intercepted on Sunday morning (Picture: Reuters) A Russian shadow fleet oil tanker has been intercepted in the English Channel, Keir Starmer has said. Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), supported by the RAF,…
Ex-Man Utd captain makes shock World Cup prediction for Arsenal star Sports Antionio Valencia believes he’s spotted a genuine contender for the Golden Boot (Picture: Getty) Antonio Valencia believes Sweden have two potential contenders to win the World Cup Golden Boot after they began their campaign with a crushing 5-1 win over Tunisia. Graham Potter’s side only qualified for the tournament via…
Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk slams FIFA over major World Cup rule change Sports Virgil van Dijk scored Netherland’s opening goal in their 2-2 draw against Japan (Picture: Hayters TV) Virgil van Dijk has urged FIFA to reconsider the implementation of hydration breaks during the World Cup after Netherlands 2-2 draw against Japan. The Dutch began their campaign with a creditable point against one…
Ukraine hits fuel supplies to Crimea, sparking a fuel crisis on the Russian-held peninsula News Ukrainian drone strikes on refineries, depots and pipelines. Tanker trucks attacked and left ablaze along the land corridor from Russia to Crimea. Motorists waiting in long lines at gas stations. In a new blow to the Kremlin’s narrative that Moscow is winning the 4-year-old war in Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces have…
4 charged in connection with attempted robbery of undercover ATF agents in Country Club Hills Uncategorized Four people are charged in connection with an attempted robbery of undercover federal agents Tuesday in Country Club Hills that resulted in two suspects being shot by officers. Undercover agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating a firearm-trafficking operation around 5:30 p.m. in the 18800…
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
