The UK has defended its seizure of the Russian-linked oil tanker MT Smyrtos in the English Channel after Vladimir Putin warned that Russia could retaliate against Western vessels. Britain says the operation, involving Royal Marines boarding the ship and taking it to waters off Weymouth, complied fully with international law and was intended to disrupt sanctions evasion funding Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The tanker’s captain, Ajay Pant, has been charged with breaching Russian sanctions over allegedly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil. The UK Ministry of Defence says Russia’s “shadow fleet” exceeds 700 vessels and carries 75% of its sanctioned oil; the EU has sanctioned more than 630 such ships by mid-August 2026, barring them from EU ports. Putin called Western seizures “piracy”, while Russia’s Pacific Fleet commander said Moscow could inspect and detain vessels from states it considers unfriendly.