The captain of the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker MV Smyrtos, an Indian national named Ajay Pant, has been charged with contravening sanctions after his vessel was intercepted and detained by UK commandos in the English Channel. Pant faces allegations of supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil products to a third country in June 2026, a breach of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The dramatic boarding operation, captured on video, saw armed commandos rappel onto the ship from a helicopter in darkness. The MV Smyrtos, which had departed from a Russian port with Egypt as its reported destination, is now prevented from leaving UK waters, leaving its 24 crew members aboard. This action aligns with the UK government's recent policy to board and seize suspected shadow fleet vessels, underscoring a broader effort to disrupt Russian oil revenue which is described as bankrolling the war in Ukraine.

The captain of the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker MV Smyrtos, an Indian national named Ajay Pant, has been charged with contravening sanctions after his vessel was intercepted and detained by UK commandos in the English Channel. Pant faces allegations of supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil products to a third country in June 2026, a breach of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The dramatic boarding operation, captured on video, saw armed commandos rappel onto the ship from a helicopter in darkness. The MV Smyrtos, which had departed from a Russian port with Egypt as its reported destination, is now prevented from leaving UK waters, leaving its 24 crew members aboard. This action aligns with the UK government's recent policy to board and seize suspected shadow fleet vessels, underscoring a broader effort to disrupt Russian oil revenue which is described as bankrolling the war in Ukraine.

The captain of the Russian shadow fleet oil tanker MV Smyrtos, an Indian national named Ajay Pant, has been charged with contravening sanctions after his vessel was intercepted and detained by UK commandos in the English Channel. Pant faces allegations of supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil products to a third country in June 2026, a breach of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. The dramatic boarding operation, captured on video, saw armed commandos rappel onto the ship from a helicopter in darkness. The MV Smyrtos, which had departed from a Russian port with Egypt as its reported destination, is now prevented from leaving UK waters, leaving its 24 crew members aboard. This action aligns with the UK government's recent policy to board and seize suspected shadow fleet vessels, underscoring a broader effort to disrupt Russian oil revenue which is described as bankrolling the war in Ukraine.

The 38-year-old Indian captain of V Smyrtos, the “stateless” Russian shadow fleet oil tanker detained by the UK commandos in the English Channel on Sunday, has been charged with contravening sanctions.

Joanne Jakymec, chief Crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), stated: "The CPS has decided to prosecute Ajay Pant for breaching Russian sanctions following a National Crime Agency investigation and the seizure of the shadow oil tanker, MV Smyrtos, travelling through the English Channel over the last weekend."

According to the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), Pant faces charges of directly or   indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil or oil products to a third country by ship in June 2026. This alleged breach falls under Regulation 46Z9B of the Russia  (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, the NCA added.

The tanker was intercepted by the commandos on Sunday in the English Channel in a dramatic operation. The footage of the operation was released by the UK Defence Ministry, which showed armed commandos boarding the ship off the southern English  coast by fast-roping from a helicopter in the dark.

Pant will appear at Southampton Magistrates’ Court in the southern English city on Tuesday, according to the agency.

The vessel has been formally prevented from departing UK waters. This means the vessel’s 24 crew members, comprising Georgian and Indian nationals, remain aboard the ship, which is currently anchored off Weymouth in Dorset.

According to the MarineTraffic website, Smyrtos had left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on June 5. The vessel’s destination is said to be Port Said in Egypt.

In March, the British government announced that UK forces would be able to board and seize suspected shadow fleet vessels passing through its waters.

The UK has sanctioned over 500 such vessels, and according to Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis, the operation is aimed at sending "a clear signal to Russia that the UK and its allies can and will act against the Russian war machine".

"Sanctioned oil is bankrolling Putin's brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps fund the missiles and drones used to kill Ukrainians in their home, destroy their infrastructure and break their will," he added.

TAGS