Captain of Russian shadow fleet tanker intercepted in Channel charged

The captain of the MV Smyrtos, a Russian shadow fleet tanker, was intercepted by Royal Marine Commandos in the English Channel on Sunday and has been charged with contravening sanctions. Ajay Pant, a 38-year-old Indian national, is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court. Twenty-four crew members remain on board off Weymouth. The National Crime Agency says the charge relates to sanction violations and delivery of oil to a third country from Russia. The six-hour operation involved helicopter insertions with RAF support, marking the first such boarding by UK forces in this context.