The UK has not detained a single Russian ship due to concerns that their presence on its territory could cost the national budget tens of millions of pounds, The Times reported.
According to The Times, such operations have not been carried out due to disputes within the UK government over where such ships should be stored and which ministry should pay for them.
As an example, the newspaper cites the story of the Panamanian-flagged bulk carrier Matthew. Irish police seized it in 2023, later finding a cargo of cocaine on board with a market value of 157 million euros. Since then, the ship's maintenance, security and berthing have cost Dublin €11.5 million, more than the value of the bulk carrier.
Foreign and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper and Shabana Mahmood have raised further concerns that the crews of the detained ships could seek asylum in Britain.
The Daily Telegraph previously suggested that the ships were not detained because British authorities feared they were breaching international maritime law. According to the newspaper, these legal provisions set a “high legal threshold for states to inspect a foreign ship“. Officials must provide a legal justification for any such “interception operation” - they must prove that the ship is evading British sanctions.
On March 25, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer gave permission for British military personnel to detain ships in UK waters that London considers part of the so-called "Russian shadow fleet". The Prime Minister's Office announced that after the detention of the ship, criminal charges could be brought against its owners, operators and crew for violating British sanctions laws. It was emphasized that the authorities would take an individual approach to each ship.
In total, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 544 ships belonging to the "shadow fleet", which are allegedly linked to Russia.
The Russian Embassy in London called the intentions of the British authorities hostile. The diplomatic mission warned that if such threats materialize, "there will be consequences".