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The British government announced on Sunday that its forces had intercepted a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel, in what it said was the “first UK-led operation of its kind”.
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In a press release, Westminster said Royal Marine Commandos and law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) had boarded the Russian vessel Smyrtos early on Sunday morning in an operation that lasted six hours.
The marines and NCA officers were supported by Chinook, Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, a Royal Air Force P-8 and the Royal Navy ships HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
Russia uses its shadow fleet to evade Western sanctions on its oil industry, which prevent Moscow from chartering or insuring tankers unless it complies with certain restrictions.
Its shadow fleet gets around these restrictions by making use of complex ownership structures, flags of convenience and other tactics designed to mask the origin of its cargo.
Smyrtos will now be moved to anchor off the UK’s south coast, where authorities will keep an eye out for any safety or environmental concerns.
Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence says the vessel usually operates out of the Russian port of Kozmino and has been exporting oil products since March 2025.
In a post on social media, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the operation delivered “yet another blow to Russia” and that it should remind “those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide”.
Dan Jarvis, a former army officer who took over as the UK’s new secretary of defence this week, praised the personnel involved in the operation, saying it required “skill, professionalism and courage”.
“I pay tribute to our Armed Forces personnel and all those involved. Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers another blow to Putin’s illegal war,” he added.
