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  "path": "/2026/06/15/captain-russian-shadow-fleet-ship-captured-commandos-channel-charged-28789872/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-15T18:55:29.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "News",
    "UK",
    "British Army",
    "Channel Tunnel",
    "Russia",
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    "Crime",
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  "textContent": "To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nThe captain of a shadow Russian ship carrying oil captured by commandos is to appear in a British court.\n\nAjay Pant, 38, will appear at Southampton Magistrates Court tomorrow charged with contravening sanctions.\n\nThe Indian national and captain of the Smyrtos, has also been charged with directly or indirectly supplying or delivering by ship prohibited oil or oil products from Russia to a third country during June 2026, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.\n\nRoyal Marine commandos and NCA officers seized the tanker in the Channel early on Sunday in the first UK-led operation to capture a sanctioned vessel.\n\nBritish armed forces intercepting a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday.\n(Picture: LPhot Hutchins/MoD Crown copyright/PA Wire)\n\n##  Sign up for all of the latest stories\n\nStart your day informed with Metro's **News Updates** newsletter or get **Breaking News** alerts the moment it happens.\n\nThe Smyrtos vessel is anchored off Weymouth, in Dorset where it is being monitored.\n\nThe 24 Smyrtos crew members, from Georgia and India, remain on board the ship.\n\nRussia’s ‘shadow fleet’ carries 75% of the country’s sanctioned oil, according to the MoD, and operates under obscure ownership as a way of getting around international sanctions.\n\nThe Smyrtos will be provisionally moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns(Picture: LPhot Hutchins/MoD Crown copyright/PA Wire)\n\nTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tvideo\n\nUp Next\n\nPrevious Page\n\nNext Page\n\nDespite this, the UK has sanctioned more than 500 of its 700 vessels.\n\nIn another operation on June 1, the country intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of the shadow fleet with UK support.\n\nSpeaking on Sky News hours after the capture, Lisa Nandy said: ‘One of the instructions the prime minister gave early on was that he wanted us to be on the front foot, taking that decisive action in order to keep the country safe and deal with the threat posed by Russia.\n\n‘We’ve been able to successfully do that. I want to pay tribute to all the Navy officers involved in that; it is no small achievement, but it is also a significant blow to the Russians.’\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Captain of Russian shadow fleet ship captured by commandos in Channel charged"
}