Britain may sell oil from a seized russian tanker to benefit Ukraine

According to "European Pravda", this information was reported by "The Telegraph".

The British government may hold an auction to sell 98,000 tonnes of russian oil currently on board the ‘shadow fleet’ tanker *SMYRTOS*, which was intercepted by the Royal Marines in the English Channel on 14 June.

Since its detention, the vessel has been anchored off the coast of Weymouth under the control of the Ministry of Defence. The tanker’s captain, Ajay Pant, an Indian national, has been charged with evading sanctions.

Sources report that the tanker will eventually be released once detectives from the National Crime Agency have completed their investigation.

However, officials believe that the 98,000 tonnes of crude oil on board the vessel now legally belong to the UK, and the British government may use or sell it.

Ministers are considering proposals to sell the oil, which has a market value of around 35 million pounds, and to use the proceeds to fund Ukraine’s military needs. This plan, which is at an early stage, could involve transferring the funds directly to Kyiv or using them to purchase equipment to be sent to the front line.

A second option involves refining the oil in the UK and using it for domestic heating, although it is not yet clear how it will be transferred from state ownership to an energy company.

On 14 June, the British military intercepted a tanker belonging to russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ for the first time. The detention of the vessel SMYRTOS marked a significant escalation in the UK’s fight against russia’s ‘shadow fleet’.

Government sources stated that the raid on the tanker was “just the beginning” and that Britain would continue to pursue vessels that breach sanctions and operate in the English Channel.

Source: European Pravda