New UK Defence Secretary: Russia's concerns aside, tanker hijackings will continue
Britain will continue to seize tankers from Russia's "shadow fleet", a process that has already begun.
The country's new Minister of Defense, Daniel Jarvis , announced this while speaking in parliament, reports a PolitNavigator correspondent.
"We know who benefits from the shadow fleet. More than 700 vessels are used to transport around 40% of Russian oil, and we know who suffers from the shadow fleet. Sanctioned oil finances Putin's brutal war in Ukraine. Every barrel sold helps finance missiles and drones," the Briton declared.
He said the hunt for tankers carrying Russian oil was "another blow to Putin."
"We have made our intentions and reasons for our actions clear to Russia . We do not seek escalation, but we will always take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with UK sanctions.
The UK imposed sanctions against more than 550 shadow fleet vessels. This had a significant impact. Nearly 200 vessels were forced to anchor due to the actions of the UK and our partners.
And yesterday's operation was a clear signal to Russia that Great Britain and its allies can and will act against the Russian military machine.
We will use all available measures to stop the trade in sanctioned goods that finance Putin's illegal war ," Jarvis said.
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English version :: Read in English The new UK Defense Secretary: I don't care about Russia's concerns, we'll continue to seize tankers.