“Great Britain is studying plans to use oil recovered from the vessels of the Russian “shadow fleet” to finance military support for Ukraine.”, — write: www.pravda.com.ua
Source: The Times with reference to an interlocutor in the British government, “European Truth”
Details: According to the options being discussed, London can not only stop the flow of funds to the Russian military machine, but also redirect the money received from the sanctioned oil to Ukraine. Whether such a plan is realistic is still unclear.
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“This will have a double effect on the Russian military machine – we will not only deprive them (Russian) of illegal income from the war, but we will also find a way to help finance the resistance of Ukraine,” said the interlocutor of the publication.
On Tuesday, The Times newspaper reported that British special forces are preparing to storm the vessels of the Russian “shadow fleet” as part of measures to counter the Russian economy.
Elite troops trained to descend from helicopters onto ships and capture their crews could target hundreds of illegal oil tankers after the government set out a legal framework for such raids.
Two Shadow Fleet vessels sanctioned by Britain – the Spring Fortune and the Range Vale – are heading for the English Channel and are due to enter the channel around lunchtime on January 14.
Both oil tankers are flying the false flags of Cameroon and Zimbabwe, making them possible targets for raids by British special forces under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Spring Fortune was sanctioned by Britain last May for engaging in activities aimed at destabilizing Ukraine or benefiting the Russian government. It previously sailed under the various names and flags of Greece, the Marshall Islands, Malta and Panama.
Range Vale exports oil from Russian ports, particularly in the Baltic Sea, and came under British sanctions in 2024. It is linked to Radiating World Shipping Services, a UAE-based company said to be one of the leading operators of the sanctioned “shadow fleet”. The ship also repeatedly changed its name and sailed under the flags of the Cook Islands, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia and Niue.
According to reports, NATO representatives in Great Britain are monitoring at least three other alleged Russian oil tankers crossing the Atlantic Ocean.
What preceded: In January, the British military supported US efforts to detain the Russian-flagged tanker Bella 1 (Marinera) in the North Atlantic, including with the help of Royal Air Force aircraft.
In December, Great Britain expanded sanctions against Russia to 24 names – new oil companies were on the list.