National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arrested an Indian national on suspicion of sanctions offences following the seizure of a Russian oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday. The operation, which involved Royal Marine Commandos fast-roping from a helicopter onto the vessel, was the first of its kind conducted by UK armed forces. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated the operation took place in international waters, more than 12 nautical miles from the UK coast, and was conducted in close coordination with France. The vessel, identified by the tracking website MarineTraffic as the Smyrtos, sails under a Cameroon flag. According to BBC Verify, the ship began its journey on June 5 from Russia’s Ust-Luga port before crossing into the channel on Saturday. The vessel was sanctioned in July 2025 and had previously been named Myrtos. The NCA reported that 24 Georgian and Indian crew members remained aboard the ship, which is currently anchored off the Dorset coast. The MoD confirmed the interception followed weeks of military and political planning. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described the operation as a blow to Russia, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UK for the action. Russia has previously described similar interceptions as illegal and “bordering on international piracy.” The UK has sanctioned more than 500 such ships as part of efforts to target the “shadow fleet” supplying Russian oil. In a separate development, Ukraine reported a massive Russian missile and drone attack on Monday morning that hit several residential buildings and the historic Dormition Cathedral of Kyiv Pechersk Lavra. The strikes resulted in at least five deaths across the country and multiple injuries in Kyiv. In response, Poland scrambled fighter jets and placed air defense systems on a state of readiness.