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War & Conflict3h 12m ago
British authorities have criminally charged Indian sea captain Ajay Pant after seizing the MV Smyrtos, a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker, in the English Channel.
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English Channel (south of the Isle of Wight)
Who
Ajay Pant, British commandos, Royal Marine Commandos, Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
What
British authorities have criminally charged Indian sea captain Ajay Pant after seizing the MV Smyrtos, a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker, in the English Channel.
When
Tue, 16 Jun 2026 00:58:57 GMT · 3h 12m ago
Where
English Channel (south of the Isle of Wight) ·
Why
Ajay Pant is accused of 'directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil or oil products by ship to a third country' under UK sanctions laws, facing up to 10 years in prison.
The Frontline Impact
How this affects you
This military interdiction represents the first physical, armed capture of a sanctioned vessel by British forces, establishing a precedent for enforcing sanctions against Russia's 'shadow fleet' which transports sanctioned crude oil globally.
Story chain
2 events in this thread- War & Conflict3h 12m agoBritish authorities have criminally charged Indian sea captain Ajay Pant after a military operation seized the MV Smyrtos, an oil tanker carrying Russian crude, in the English Channel.Open article
- Currently Reading3h 12m agoBritish authorities have criminally charged Indian sea captain Ajay Pant after seizing the MV Smyrtos, a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker, in the English Channel.