Britain plans to set up headquarters to combat Russian "shadow fleet," - Sunday Times
The United Kingdom intends to strengthen its response to Russia's "shadow fleet" and establish a special command center to monitor and potentially intercept sanctioned vessels off the country's east coast.
This is mentioned in an investigation by The Sunday Times, reports Censor.NET.
According to the publication's sources, the military will use the new headquarters to gather intelligence, track ships that help Russia circumvent sanctions, and, if necessary, intercept them at sea.
The command center is planned to be located at the HMS Calliope training complex in Gateshead, which is currently used by the Royal Navy Reserve. The facility is to be converted into a full-fledged military base. From there, remotely controlled boats will be able to patrol the waters of the North Sea and the English Channel at a distance of up to 800 kilometers.
In the future, these unmanned vessels will monitor Russian tankers, detect ships flying false flags or bearing false names, and gather intelligence on the movements of the "shadow fleet."
As noted by the Sunday Times, one of the main problems in detaining ships with illegal cargoes remains the high cost of their long-term detention. Among the possible solutions, the team of British Defense Minister John Healey is considering selling oil from detained tankers to offset the costs of their arrest and subsequent detention.
