UK intercepts Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Channel, first such boarding under new seizure powers
British forces, in close coordination with France, intercepted the tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel on 14 June, the first UK-led operation targeting a Russian shadow fleet vessel for sanctions evasion.
Pre-dawn boarding
Royal Marines commandos and specially trained National Crime Agency officers boarded the tanker SMYRTOS in the early hours of Sunday morning. The six-hour operation, supported by Chinook helicopters and the frigate HMS Sutherland, ended with the vessel under UK control. It is the first boarding and seizure led by Britain under powers announced in March that allow its forces to intercept shadow fleet ships passing through UK waters.
Russia relies on its shadow fleet to finance its conflict in Ukraine and our interception deals a blow to Putin's illegal war.
The Ministry of Defence said the tanker would be moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and placed under surveillance. The operation was carried out "in close coordination with the French", Defence Minister Dan Jarvis stressed.
- Royal Marines and NCA officers board the tanker early in the morning, supported by air and naval assets.
- The six-hour operation concludes; the tanker is to be moved to a south coast anchorage and placed under surveillance.
Shadow fleet under pressure
Hundreds of vessels suspected of carrying Russian oil have been sanctioned by London since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. These tankers, often ageing ships with opaque ownership, are barred from UK ports and services. Disrupting the fleet with international partners, Jarvis added, "directly attacks the resources fuelling Russia's aggression in Ukraine and reduces its capacity to threaten security in Europe and beyond".
Political reaction
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the interception "another blow to Russia" and said it reminds "those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine that they cannot hide". The action shifts enforcement from paper sanctions to physical disruption of a fleet estimated to run hundreds of vessels, sending a signal that Western governments are willing to escalate counter-evasion measures.
