Evidence suggests the ship on which three Indian sailors died was not moving when it was struck in the Gulf of Oman, but it had been engaged in risky offshore transfers of oil.
LONDON (AP) — Armed British forces boarded and detained a sanctioned tanker Sunday that is suspected of being part of the Russian “shadow fleet,” shipping oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow’s war on Ukraine, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday. Royal Marine commandos rappelled from helicopters onto the vessel, the Smyrtos, in [...]
Britain’s defense ministry said it was the first time that British forces had acted alone to stop a ship in the fleet, a collection of vessels that Russia uses to move fuel and evade sanctions.
Britain is investigating a sanctioned tanker that is suspected of being part of the Russian "shadow fleet," shipping oil in violation of international sanctions over Moscow's war on Ukraine.
'You will not escape'
The U.S. sanctioned a tanker of the same name in February, alleging it's part of Iran's fleet of "shadow" vessels that store and ship barrels of sanctioned Iranian oil.
The Treasury Department also targeted a top independent Chinese refinery that it said was a major buyer of Iranian petroleum.
'It ran, and we followed'
Two Russian crew members had been released and were on their way back to their country, while arrangements are being made to fly five others to the U.S.
AI:The U.S. Coast Guard has intercepted a shadow fleet tanker in Scottish waters, detaining its captain and first officer as part of an ongoing investigation into sanctions evasion. While two Russian crew members were released for repatriation, five others await transit to the United States. This maneuver highlights the growing maritime friction caused by rogue vessels operating outside international law to bypass economic restrictions. Despite the mainstream media's predictable silence on the tactical specifics, this seizure underscores the high-stakes maneuvering occurring in global shipping lanes as shadow fleets continue to challenge established naval authority.Open