Britain accused of harboring sanctioned Russian tankers off its coast

British authorities have faced fierce criticism from international human rights advocates after a Russian tanker carrying diesel fuel and under sanctions sailed past the Shetland Islands unimpeded. Source: London Loves Business

The Leruo, carrying around three hundred thousand barrels of fuel, was heading toward North America under a special temporary license issued by the US Treasury Department that eases restrictions on diesel exports. At almost the same time, the UK Royal Navy was deployed to monitor another sanctioned tanker, the Myra, which sailed west of Scotland toward Egypt, prompting a wave of outrage among security experts.

The human rights organization Razom We Stand issued an official statement accusing London and Washington of turning a blind eye and financing Russia’s war machine. The group’s representatives stressed that every barrel of fuel transported through international waters without hindrance becomes a source of funding for missile and drone strikes against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure. Although British forces demonstrated their ability to intercept sanctioned vessels in the summer, detaining the Smyrtos in the English Channel, the regular passage of Russian ships calls into question whether the restrictions are actually being enforced and whether the West is determined to cut off the Kremlin’s financial flows.

The situation is compounded by existing regulatory loopholes in British law itself. In particular, the UK General Trade License continues to allow the import of petroleum products refined from Russian feedstock at plants in third countries. Experts warn that the absence of robust enforcement and at-sea inspections completely undermines declarative claims of sanctions pressure. Analysts and public figures are calling on the UK government to begin intercepting all sanctioned vessels in its territorial waters immediately in order to effectively restrict fossil fuel exports.

It was previously reported that The Russian Navy is to be officially deployed to protect “shadow fleet” vessels.