Great Britain to detain tankers of Russian "shadow fleet"
The United Kingdom has authorized the military and law enforcement agencies to intercept and detain Russian tankers subject to sanctions in its waters.
According to Censor.NET, this has been reported by the British government.
The country hopes that this move will block key shipping routes—including the English Channel—to vessels subject to sanctions. This will force operators to either choose longer and more expensive routes or risk being detained by British forces.
"Putin is rubbing his hands together over the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets. That is exactly why we are cracking down even harder on his shadow fleet. We are not only ensuring the security of Britain, but also depriving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.
"He and his accomplices should be in no doubt: we will always defend our sovereignty and support Ukraine for as long as it takes," said Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The British government has reported that the military and law enforcement agencies are preparing to seize Russian vessels that refuse to surrender, are armed, or use high-tech surveillance to evade capture in order to avoid detention.
Criminal charges may be brought against the owners, operators, and crew of the detained vessels for violating British sanctions laws.
What happened before?
About 1,500 tankers currently make up Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, which allows the aggressor to sell oil in circumvention of sanctions and use the proceeds to fund the war against Ukraine.
