UK charges Indian captain of suspected Russian shadow tanker seized in Channel (opens original article in a new tab)

UK charges Indian captain of a seized Russian shadow fleet tanker with sanctions violations, marking a significant operation against Moscow's war efforts.

• British prosecutors charged Indian captain Ajay Pant with sanctions violations for alleged involvement with a Russian shadow fleet tanker
• The vessel Smyrtos was intercepted by UK forces in the Channel, marking the first UK-led operation of its kind
• Pant is accused of supplying Russian oil to a third country between June 2026