Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has thanked the United Kingdom and Keir Starmer for the first seizure of a Russian shadow fleet tanker. According to Ukrainska Pravda, Zelenskyy responded to a video of the special operation in the English Channel released by Starmer. The footage shows British special forces boarding and searching the tanker SMYRTOS.
“I am grateful to the United Kingdom for this important step against the Russian oil fleet – a shadow fleet tanker was seized off the south coast of Britain,” Zelenskyy wrote. He stressed that any decision by partners that deprives Russia of the means to finance the war also limits the war itself. The president called on other allies to pass laws enabling the confiscation of oil from vessels of the Russian shadow fleet.
The operation was conducted in coordination with France. The tanker SMYRTOS is to remain anchored off the south coast of England to allow for environmental and safety checks. Starmer said: “Despite Putin’s attempts to evade sanctions, we will not let him get away with it.”
Source: www.pravda.com.ua
