The IRGC detained two tankers in the Persian Gulf on suspicion of fuel smuggling.

Roman  Panasyuk
Roman Panasyuk Journalist
The IRGC detained two tankers in the Persian Gulf on suspicion of fuel smuggling.
A boat belonging to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy in the Persian Gulf (photo from the archives) Sepahnews IMAGO
The Iranian Navy has announced the detention of two foreign tankers in the strategic Persian Gulf region. According to Tehran, the vessels were carrying more than a million litres of contraband fuel, and the crew members have already been handed over to law enforcement agencies.

On 5 February, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy detained two oil tankers with foreign crews in the Persian Gulf. This was reported by the Iranian agency Tasnim. According to the Iranian side, the ships were carrying more than one million litres of fuel, which is considered contraband.

A total of 15 crew members from both tankers were handed over to Iranian law enforcement agencies. They are expected to face trial. Information about the sailors' nationalities and the flags under which the ships were sailing is not currently being disclosed.

Iran regularly reports the detention of tankers accused of illegal fuel trading in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz. This sea route is one of the world's key routes for the transport of oil and liquefied natural gas. About 20 per cent of the world's oil exports pass through it.

Experts note that Iran's fuel prices, which are among the lowest in the world, create favourable conditions for smuggling to neighbouring countries. This makes combating the illegal export of petroleum products a constant priority for Iranian security forces.

Tensions in the region escalated after Reuters and The Wall Street Journal reported on an incident on 3 February, when Iranian boats approached the US-flagged tanker Stena Imperative in the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel was ordered to stop, but it continued on its way and was later escorted by a US military ship. Earlier, IRGC representatives also announced the possibility of blocking the Strait of Hormuz in the event of an escalation of the conflict with the United States.

Share tittle
Politics
The Lithuanian Defence Minister has stated that Russia may regard the Baltic states and Poland as its next targets
Politics

The Lithuanian Defence Minister has stated that Russia may regard the Baltic states and Poland as its next targets

Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas has stated that, as the war against Ukraine has not yielded the expected results, the Kremlin may seek a further escalation. According to him, Russia may regard the Baltic states and Poland as its next potential targets.

22.07.2026
Ihor Skybyuk is to become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine
Politics

Ihor Skybyuk is to become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Major General Ihor Skybyuk is to become the new Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The personnel decisions regarding the reshuffle of the military leadership are due to be formalised on 22 July.

22.07.2026
Production of British L119 howitzers is set to begin in Ukraine
Politics

Production of British L119 howitzers is set to begin in Ukraine

The British company BAE Systems is to begin licensed production of L119 105-mm howitzers directly in Ukraine. The agreement was signed at the Farnborough International Airshow.

22.07.2026
Moldova has approved Tofan’s government, which is committed to EU accession
Politics

Moldova has approved Tofan’s government, which is committed to EU accession

The Moldovan Parliament has expressed its confidence in the new government led by the financier Vasile Tofan. The Cabinet of Ministers has pledged to revitalise the economy, reduce the budget deficit and prepare the country for accession to the European Union.

22.07.2026
Mykhailo Drapatiy is wanted by the Russian Federation: what is he accused of?
Politics

Mykhailo Drapatiy is wanted by the Russian Federation: what is he accused of?

Mykhailo Drapatiy, whom President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has appointed as the new Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, is on the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ wanted list. However, Russia added the Ukrainian general to the list back in September 2023, rather than following the announcement of personnel changes within the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

22.07.2026
Economy
Court overturns 4 million fine following an inspection of ‘Tekhno Yizhak’
Economy

Court overturns 4 million fine following an inspection of ‘Tekhno Yizhak’

During a retrial, the Kharkiv District Administrative Court quashed a tax penalty of 4,038,423 hryvnias imposed on a business owner following an inspection of a shop in the centre of Odesa. The decision was based on irregularities in the way the inspection was arranged, rather than on a refutation of the tax authorities’ claims regarding the accounting of goods.

22.07.2026
The Innovation Development Fund plans to purchase 860 Starlink Mini units for 17 million
Economy

The Innovation Development Fund plans to purchase 860 Starlink Mini units for 17 million

The Innovation Development Fund has announced a tender for the purchase of 860 Starlink Internet Satellite Mini satellite modems or their equivalents. The maximum funding amount for the purchase, including VAT, is 17.028 million hryvnias.

22.07.2026
"Ukrnafta" is to build a new gas-fired combined heat and power plant with the support of the EBRD
Economy

"Ukrnafta" is to build a new gas-fired combined heat and power plant with the support of the EBRD

"Ukrnafta", in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is preparing to build a modern combined-cycle gas-fired combined heat and power plant with a capacity of around 250 MW.

21.07.2026
The IMF has approved a $690 million tranche for Ukraine: the conditions
Economy

The IMF has approved a $690 million tranche for Ukraine: the conditions

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund has completed the first review of the four-year Extended Fund Facility programme for Ukraine. The decision paves the way for the immediate release of approximately $690 million.

21.07.2026
The cost of living in Ukraine: Getmantsev reveals the actual figure
Economy

The cost of living in Ukraine: Getmantsev reveals the actual figure

The real cost of living in Ukraine should be at least 11,000–12,000 hryvnias per month. However, there are currently no plans to raise it to this level in the near future due to the constraints on the state budget.

20.07.2026
Events
An unusual toilet seat competition was held in Russia
Society

An unusual toilet seat competition was held in Russia

In Stavropol, Russia, a sanitaryware manufacturer ran a promotional campaign that caused quite a stir on social media. Visitors to one of the shopping centres were invited to drink a soft drink from the new toilet bowls, and then take part in another unusual challenge

19.07.2026
Russia has lost 75 per cent of the capacity of the Kerch ferry crossing
War

Russia has lost 75 per cent of the capacity of the Kerch ferry crossing

Robert Brovdi (call sign ‘Madyar’), Commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ Unmanned Systems Forces, stated that as a result of Operation ‘MoLoChKa’, which took place over a two-week period in July, Russia lost approximately 75 per cent of the Kerch ferry crossing’s capacity

19.07.2026
In Greece, a driver rammed his car into the entrance to a military base
Society

In Greece, a driver rammed his car into the entrance to a military base

In the town of Argos-Orestiko in northern Greece, a 52-year-old man was arrested after he drove his car into the main entrance to a military base. According to preliminary reports, the driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.

19.07.2026
The President of Hungary has signed a law providing for his resignation
Politics

The President of Hungary has signed a law providing for his resignation

The President of Hungary, Tamás Szujók, has signed a constitutional amendment providing for the early termination of his term of office. The document marked the final stage of a political process that had lasted several months following an initiative by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government

19.07.2026
The editor-in-chief of *Fakty* has reported that his daughter was attacked in the centre of Kyiv
Society

The editor-in-chief of *Fakty* has reported that his daughter was attacked in the centre of Kyiv

Oleksandr Shvets, editor-in-chief of the publication *Fakty*, has stated that his eldest daughter was assaulted at a public transport stop in the centre of Kyiv. According to him, the incident took place a few days ago on Lesya Ukrainka Boulevard

19.07.2026
Crime
Law enforcement officers have uncovered six new schemes to evade mobilisation in various regions of Ukraine
Crime

Law enforcement officers have uncovered six new schemes to evade mobilisation in various regions of Ukraine

The Security Service of Ukraine, the State Bureau of Investigations and the National Police have announced that they have uncovered six new schemes to evade mobilisation. According to the investigation, 15 organisers of these schemes have been detained, and more than 200 conscripts took advantage of one of the schemes.

22.07.2026
Two so-called rehabilitation centres in Kharkiv have been exposed for illegally detaining people
Crime

Two so-called rehabilitation centres in Kharkiv have been exposed for illegally detaining people

In Kharkiv, law enforcement officers have shut down two so-called rehabilitation centres where, according to the investigation, people with drug and alcohol addictions were unlawfully detained, isolated from the outside world and forced to work for free. Six suspects have been served with notices of suspicion.

22.07.2026
The Hungarian Public Prosecutor’s Office carried out searches at the offices of Orbán’s Fidesz party
Politics
  • Important

The Hungarian Public Prosecutor’s Office carried out searches at the offices of Orbán’s Fidesz party

The Hungarian party Fidesz has stated that the public prosecutor’s office carried out searches at the office where its servers are housed. The party has accused the government of attempting to obstruct its activities.

21.07.2026
They concealed explosives in saucepans. The SBU foiled a double terrorist attack in the centre of Ivano-Frankivsk
Crime

They concealed explosives in saucepans. The SBU foiled a double terrorist attack in the centre of Ivano-Frankivsk

The Security Service of Ukraine foiled a double terrorist attack in the courtyard of a residential complex in the centre of Ivano-Frankivsk.

21.07.2026
Boris Johnson is calling for urgent measures to be taken to put a stop to a cigarette smuggling ring from Ukraine worth 200 million pounds sterling
Crime

Boris Johnson is calling for urgent measures to be taken to put a stop to a cigarette smuggling ring from Ukraine worth 200 million pounds sterling

According to the Daily Mail, former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on the British authorities to take action over the possible involvement of companies registered in the UK in a scheme to illegally manufacture and sell tobacco products in Ukraine. According to the publication, criminal proceedings are ongoing in Ukraine, and no court ruling has yet been issued in the case.

21.07.2026