Britain has not detained a single Russian tanker due to the risk of financial costs — The Times
The British Royal Navy has not yet carried out any operations to intercept oil tankers from the aggressor country that are subject to sanctions.
This is reported by The Times.
The main obstacle to decisive action has been the government’s concerns about the enormous costs of mooring, guarding, and maintaining the confiscated vessels.
Despite Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s bold promises made in March, no concrete measures have been implemented.
The head of government assured that Britain would “pursue” Russian tankers sailing under false flags, deploying elite special forces and law enforcement agents for this purpose.
However, a heated dispute has erupted within the British cabinet between departments over who exactly should finance these operations.
The Department for Transport is accused of deliberately dragging out the process out of fear of multimillion-pound bills for maintaining the fleet.
The example set by Irish authorities regarding the Panamanian vessel “MV Matthew,” which was seized with tons of cocaine, has become a case in point for London.
Although €157 million worth of drugs were found on board, the cost of just the vessel’s maintenance and security has already exceeded £10 million, which has sent a warning signal to British financiers.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood expressed particular concern.
They suggest that the detention of the vessels could lead to unexpected legal consequences—in particular, Russian crews or mercenaries on board could apply for asylum in the UK.
Russia’s shadow fleet transports oil under false insurance policies
As a reminder, France plans to significantly increase penalties for ship owners and operators who use false flags or ignore orders to stop.
Europe plans to discuss operational decisions regarding the implementation of the 20th package of sanctions against Russia to increase pressure on Moscow.
