British forces intercept Russian shadow fleet vessel in Channel

John Besley, Press Association

The British armed forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, the Prime Minister said.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Royal Marine commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency boarded a sanctioned oil tanker during a six-hour operation – the first UK-led operation of its kind.

The vessel Smyrtos will be provisionally moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns.

According to the MoD, the operation was supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), an RAF P-8 aircraft, and HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.

In footage released by the MoD, personnel are shown boarding the vessel in the dark by fast-roping from a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.

Further video clips show personnel armed with KS-1 rifles conducting searches of cabins aboard the vessel, while officers from the NCA inspect documentation and paperwork.

According to the MarineTraffic website, Smyrtos sails under the Cameroon flag and left Ust-Luga, Russia, on June 5, with Port Said, Egypt, listed as its destination.

The website also says that the vessel is currently off the coast of Weymouth, Dorset.

Sir Keir Starmer said in a statement: “This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling (President Vladimir) Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide.

“I want to pay tribute to all those involved, including our armed forces and law enforcement officers who keep this country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Sir Keir said in March that the UK would join northern European allies in intercepting Russia’s shadow fleet, in an attempt to “go after” the sanction-breaking ships “even harder”.

Moscow’s shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers that illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine began.

Closing off British waters to the shadow fleet is aimed at forcing the Russian vessels into taking longer, more costly sea routes, or risk being intercepted by the UK.

British forces have already been involved in tracking shadow fleet vessels for several years, and have supported operations by other countries to seize the ships.

Lord Dannatt, the former chief of the general staff, said the interception could result in Russian warships escorting tankers through UK waters in future.

He told GB News that one “consideration is whether the Russians will, now that they’ve seen that we’re prepared to intercept these tankers in something like the English Channel, whether they will start to escort with a Russian warship.”

Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said: “Operations like this require 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 a blow to Putin’s illegal war.”

Attorney General Lord Richard Hermer wrote on LinkedIn: “This Government made clear that we would pursue Russia’s shadow fleet under the full force of international law.

“Russia relies on their shadow fleet tankers to fund their conflict in Ukraine, and this expertly delivered interdiction strikes another blow at Putin’s war machine.

“I pay tribute to the extraordinary courage and professional of our armed forces personnel, and everyone else involved.”

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch wrote on X: “I pay tribute to the brave Royal Marine Commandos who boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker overnight in the English Channel.

“Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine is funded by their oil exports in defiance of sanctions.

“As Leader of the Opposition, I support the Government in standing with Ukraine.”

Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the UK for “such principled resolve”.

The Ukrainian president wrote on X: “I am grateful to the UK for taking this important step against Russia’s oil fleet – a shadow fleet tanker has been detained off the UK’s southern coast.

“It was Russia’s hubris, fuelled by high oil and gas revenues, that paved the way for this war, and every decision by partners that deprives Russia of money also limits the war itself.

“I thank @Keir_Starmer and all Britons for such principled resolve. And Europe urgently needs to take legislative steps to enable not only the detention of tankers and restrictions on oil shipments, but also the confiscation of the oil they carry. This will certainly help bring peace closer.”