Story perspectives

UK Marines Seize Russian-Linked Tanker in Channel, Raising Shipping Costs

6/16/2026

Left

Royal Marines Seize

British Royal Marines boarded the Russian-linked tanker Smyrtos in a Chinook operation, the first UK-led seizure of a shadow-fleet vessel.
The vessel Smyrtos, seized off the English Channel, remains detained with its 24 crew members aboard.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UK, calling the raid a step against Russia’s oil funding.
The seizure will raise shipping costs and add 926 km to routes avoiding the English Channel.

Right

Pant Appears

Ajay Pant, Indian national suspected of captaining the seized tanker, appeared via videolink at Southampton Magistrates Court, remanded in custody.
The MV Smyrtos, a Russian-linked tanker carrying about 98,000 tonnes of oil, remains detained in UK waters.
Twenty-four crew members from India and Georgia continue to stay aboard the vessel.
The ship entered UK waters off Margate on 13 June without a legitimate flag.

History

Historical Context

In January-February 1991, the UN-backed Operation Desert Storm seized eleven Iraqi tankers carrying about 1.5 million barrels of oil, a loss valued at over $30 billion. The raid crippled Saddam’s war financing and set a precedent for multinational maritime enforcement. In June 2024, British Royal Marines boarded the Russian-linked tanker Smyrtos, echoing the 1991 interdiction as part of ongoing sanctions pressure on regimes that fund hostile actions.

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Royal Marines Seize

British Royal Marines boarded the Russian-linked tanker Smyrtos in a Chinook operation, the first UK-led seizure of a shadow-fleet vessel.
The vessel Smyrtos, seized off the English Channel, remains detained with its 24 crew members aboard.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UK, calling the raid a step against Russia’s oil funding.
The seizure will raise shipping costs and add 926 km to routes avoiding the English Channel.

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