Vladimir Putin has directed a suspected arms-carrying cargo ship to navigate through the English Channel with the protection of a Russian warship.
The Russian warship Admiral Grigorovich is accompanying a convoy of Russian vessels, including the 415ft Sparta, which has previously been associated with transporting military supplies to Syria off the southern coast.
The Sparta, reportedly en route to Port Said in northern Egypt, entered the Channel near Dover on Thursday morning.
Accompanying the Sparta are several vessels, including the sanctioned tanker General Skobelev and the Akademik Pashin, a medium-sized refueling vessel, as per reports by the Telegraph.
This development follows Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approval of military action against ships in Putin’s alleged fleet, suspected of illicitly exporting oil globally to fund Russia’s activities in Ukraine.
In a plan outlined recently, Mr. Starmer granted special forces and National Crime Agency officers the authority to board and confiscate such vessels. However, no enforcement action has been initiated yet.
Internal disagreements persist within the government regarding the destination of captured tankers and the responsible department for covering expenses.
The Sparta faced sanctions in May 2022 and has been connected to the ‘Syrian Express,’ a supply route utilized by Russian ships passing through the Bosphorus to aid the Assad regime.