ISLE OF WIGHT — Royal Marines boarded the Russian oil tanker Smyrtos on Sunday 25 miles south of the Isle of Wight. Authorities suspected the vessel of operating under a false flag of Cameroon while transporting sanctioned crude oil from Russia to India.

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said, "The ship was captured in a matter of minutes." The National Crime Agency charged captain Ajay Pant, an Indian national aged 38, with breaching sanctions offences. He is scheduled to appear at Southampton magistrates court on Tuesday.

Jarvis discussed the seizure in Parliament, saying, "The principle of a seizure had been the result of weeks of military and operational planning." He said, "The chancellor is someone who cares very deeply about our national security, and that is why she is here to lend that support." The Smyrtos was monitored for several days prior to its seizure. The vessel is 244 meters long.

Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge questioned why the seizure occurred over the weekend after nearly three months without boardings. "Until this weekend, almost three months after the policy was announced, no boarding of these vessels had taken place. What changed on the specific action that took place?" Cartlidge said. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated in March that vessels carrying sanctioned Russian oil could face capture.

Twenty-four crew members from Georgia and India remain on board the vessel. The government has not confirmed whether it intends to sell the 100,000 tonnes of crude oil aboard the Smyrtos. Jarvis also said the defence investment plan would be published before the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Ankara in early July. NATO has set a defence spending target of 3.5% of gross domestic product by 2035.