Russian Warship Escorts Sanctioned Tankers Across the English Channel, In Defiance

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“Last month, Sir Keir gave special forces the authority to capture the armada of rusted ships illegally ferrying oil to support Russia’s war in Ukraine, saying he would hit the shadow fleet ‘even harder’ if they sailed through British waters. However, Britain is yet to seize a single Russian vessel.

The Prime Minister has repeatedly faced criticism regarding the state of the Royal Navy and Britain’s Armed Forces. After an Iranian-made drone hit RAF Akrotiri, HMS Dragon, Britain’s only deployable destroyer, was sent to the Middle East, but took three weeks to arrive and has already had to return to port as it suffers water supply issues.

[…] Donald Trump, the US president, has previously described the Navy’s two aircraft carriers as ‘toys’ while his defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, mocked Britain’s ‘big, bad Royal Navy’.

The US first stormed a Russian-sanctioned oil tanker in January, prompting pledges from Western nations to seize further ships. While the French navy has intercepted some tankers in the Mediterranean, dozens of Russian vessels are believed to have passed through the Channel since Sir Keir’s threat.”

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