As the UK's latest foray into enforcing sanctions against Russian oil tankers comes under scrutiny, Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis faced tough questioning from MPs over the timing of the operation. The dramatic seizure of the Russian oil tanker Smyrtos by Royal Marines has raised eyebrows in Westminster, with some speculating that the move was influenced by politics following the sudden resignation of John Healey as Defence Secretary just three days prior.
According to Mr Jarvis, the 244-metre vessel had been under close surveillance for several days before its capture on Sunday morning. The Smyrtos, carrying crude oil from Russia destined for India, was boarded by marine commandos 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight in a matter of minutes, with no shots fired. The operation marks a significant enforcement action against the 'shadow fleet' of vessels suspected of circumventing international sanctions.
The captain of the vessel, Ajay Pant, has been charged by the National Crime Agency with breaching sanctions offences and is due to appear at Southampton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday. The remaining 24 crew members, from Georgia and India, remain on board the tanker. This seizure comes as a blow to Russia's ability to circumvent sanctions, which have been in place since the Ukraine conflict began.
The timing of the operation has drawn attention due to its coincidence with John Healey's resignation. Mr Healey cited an "acrimonious row" over defence funding between the Treasury and Downing Street, highlighting an £18 billion gap in the defence investment plan. The Labour leadership had committed to raising defence spending to 2.68% of GDP by 2030, below a NATO target of 3.5% by 2035.
Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge pressed Mr Jarvis on why the seizure took place this weekend, given that numerous other vessels suspected of carrying Russian oil under sanctions had entered UK waters since the Prime Minister warned in March that such tankers could be at risk of capture. Mr Jarvis reiterated that the operation was the culmination of "weeks of military and operational planning," without confirming whether the UK would seek to sell the 100,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard the Smyrtos to fund Ukraine's defence efforts.