According to the government, Great Britain intercepted an oil tanker belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” in the English Channel on Sunday. “In the first operation of this kind under British leadership, the vessel Smyrtos was stopped and inspected by Royal Navy commandos and specially trained security personnel from the National Crime Agency,” the Ministry of Defence in London announced.
The Ministry of Defence further stated that the tanker was intercepted “despite all of Russia’s efforts to circumvent sanctions and fuel its barbaric war against Ukraine.” The vessel is to be taken to an anchorage off the south coast of England and placed under supervision. The six-hour operation, carried out in the early hours of the morning, was supported from the air and by naval vessels such as the frigate HMS Sutherland.
“Russia relies on its shadow fleet to finance its conflict in Ukraine, and our ban deals a blow to Putin’s illegal war,” said British Defence Minister Dan Jarvis, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin. The operation was conducted “in close coordination with the French.”
Image: AFP PHOTO / UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT, 2026
Disrupting the shadow fleet has “directly hit the resources underpinning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and reduced its ability to threaten security in Europe and beyond,” Jarvis added.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that the operation was “yet another blow against Russia” and served as a reminder to those “fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide.”
The UK has imposed sanctions on hundreds of vessels believed to belong to Russia’s “shadow fleet.” These ships are prohibited from entering British ports or using British infrastructure. Western nations believe Russia uses these vessels—often aging and sailing under foreign flags—to circumvent measures such as sanctions on its oil exports.
In March, the British government authorized the country’s military to board and seize sanctioned vessels from the Russian shadow fleet as they passed through British territorial waters. London took this step in response to the easing of US sanctions on Russian oil—a move by Washington intended to mitigate the economic impact of the war against Iran.
Author: AFP translated by Blackout News
Sources: AFP Press Portal