LONDON, April 10. /TASS/. The UK has not detained a single Russian vessel for fear of violating international maritime law, The Daily Telegraph reported.
According to it, international legal norms have established a high legal threshold for a state when inspecting a foreign vessel. Officials must provide legal justification for each such operation. They need to prove that the ship is circumventing British sanctions.
The paper said that Attorney General for England and Wales Richard Hermer issued an opinion according to which British special forces and the National Crime Agency can board Russian ships.
On March 25, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer granted the British army permission to detain vessels, which London considers to be part of the so-called shadow fleet, in the kingdom's waters. According to Starmer’s office, after the detention of the vessel, criminal proceedings may be initiated against its owners, operators and crew for violating British sanctions legislation. It was emphasized that the authorities would take an individual approach to each vessel. In total, the UK imposed sanctions on 544 vessels of the so-called shadow fleet, allegedly linked to Russia.
The Russian embassy in London called such intentions of the British authorities a hostile step. On April 9, the diplomatic mission warned that if such threats turn into actions, "there will be consequences."