Oil tanker switched course to UK from US amid sanctions fears

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A tanker heading to the US carrying an estimated 400,000 barrels of Russian crude oil reversed its course earlier this month, and docked in Britain on Sunday. Asked about another Russian vessel due to arrive in Orkney to collect oil later this week, a British government spokesperson said: “I think we are looking into what we can do about either Russian ships or ships with links to Russia using UK ports." The oil delivery and the funds it could generate for the sanction-hit Russian economy risks ploughing cash into Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, an UK government official told the Independent. On Sunday, Liz Truss, British foreign secretary, said that sanctions were aimed not only at broader financing for Russia’s economy, but also the energy sector: "The real objective is to degrade the Russian economy because what we know is that Putin's war machine is funded by revenues from oil and gas," Ms Truss said.