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France captures alleged Russian shadow tanker off Sicily as UK plans to sell seized oil

The French Navy is now escorting the tanker to an anchorage for additional inspections

© Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images

MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron has said that the country's navy detained the Deliver tanker near Sicily, which he claims is part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet.

Meanwhile, The Daily Telegraph reported, citing sources, that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was considering selling over 100,000 metric tons of oil from the Smyrtos tanker seized in the English Channel and transferring the funds to the Ukrainian armed forces.

TASS has gathered the key information on the situation surrounding the seized tankers.

Tanker seizure off Sicily’s coast

- French President Emmanuel Macron has claimed that the country's navy had detained the Deliver tanker near Sicily.

- The vessel is alleged to be part of the so-called Russian shadow fleet.

- According to Macron, the tanker was passing near Sicily "in breach of maritime law."

- France’s Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean reported that the Cameroon-flagged ship was travelling from Primorsk, Russia; an inspection team studied its documents and "confirmed doubts about the legal use of the flag."

- The incident took place on June 23.

- The French Navy is now escorting the tanker to an anchorage for additional inspections.

Plans to sell oil from Smyrtos tanker

- British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is considering the possibility of selling more than 100,000 tons of oil from the Smyrtos tanker seized in the English Channel, The Daily Telegraph reported.

- According to the newspaper, British officials believe the oil now belongs to their country and London has the right to decide what to do with it.

- The paper added that the oil’s market value was about 35 million pounds.

- The Daily Telegraph noted that the British government was studying a proposal to transfer the proceeds to the Ukrainian army.

- The British military earlier captured the Smyrtos tanker in the English channel. Starmer claimed in a June 14 joint statement with the Defense Ministry that the ship belongs to the so-called Russian shadow fleet

Russia’s reaction

- Russia will study legal options to respond to the United Kingdom’s plans to sell oil from the Smyrtos tanker, which had been sailing from Ust-Luga, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. Moscow will exhaust all legal mechanisms at its disposal, he added.

- Historically, London hasn’t been shy about using pirate tactics, Peskov noted.

- By announcing plans to sell oil from the seized Smyrtos tanker, Britain is once again engaging in piracy, which is in its DNA, Vladimir Dzhabarov, first deputy chair of the Federation Council (upper house of parliament) Committee on Foreign Affairs, told the Vesti television news show.

- Speaking of potential retaliatory measures, the senator suggested "treading on British interests somewhere in a very harsh manner."

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