UK seizes Russian oil tanker in Channel over suspected false flag
A Russian oil tanker carrying crude to India was boarded by Royal Marines 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight in the early hours of Sunday. The vessel had been under surveillance for several days before the operation.
The GuardianA Russian oil tanker was seized by Royal Marines in the early hours of Sunday after being tracked for several days. The 244-metre vessel was boarded 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight in a rapid operation that took only minutes. The tanker, carrying crude oil from Russia to India, was suspected of sailing under a false flag of Cameroon.
The captain, an Indian national, was charged with breaching sanctions and is due to appear in court on Tuesday, while 24 crew members remain on board.
Timing and political context The seizure occurred three days after the previous defence secretary resigned over disagreements on defence funding. The new defence secretary told MPs the operation resulted from weeks of planning and was not ordered in response to the resignation.
The chancellor attended the statement in the Commons. The defence secretary said the chancellor supports national security priorities and confirmed the defence investment plan will be published before the NATO summit in early July.
Questions from opposition The shadow defence secretary asked why the vessel was seized this weekend when other tankers had entered UK waters since a March warning. The defence secretary replied that the principle of seizure had been established through extended military planning but gave no indication whether the cargo would be sold to support Ukraine.
