The Cameroon-flagged vessel will be relocated to the south coast of England and closely observed for environmental and safety issues, as stated by the ministry. This action follows its boarding under United Nations maritime law.
This incident represents the U.K.’s first interception of a Russian-linked vessel since the onset of Moscow’s extensive invasion of Ukraine over four years ago. Previously, countries like France, Estonia, and Finland have boarded suspicious vessels as European allies of Ukraine have strengthened their enforcement of sanctions against Russia.
The Times reported earlier that the Royal Navy had not seized any Russian-linked vessels due to concerns over the high maintenance costs, estimated at tens of millions of pounds.
Moscow has been utilizing a growing network of old tankers with unclear ownership and little-known insurance after the G7 set a price cap on Russian oil exports in 2022. Russia uses this fleet, numbering over 700 tankers, to export the majority of its oil.
In reaction, the EU and U.K. have sanctioned more than 600 vessels linked to Russia.
“Russia relies on its shadow fleet to support their war in Ukraine, and our interdiction strikes a blow to Putin’s illegal war,” stated British Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis.
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