British forces have seized an oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel in a first-of-its-kind operation by the British military, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
“Early this morning, I instructed the British military to intercept a Shadow Fleet oil tanker as it attempted to cross the English Channel,” Starmer said in a post on X.
“The success of this operation is a further blow to Russia and a reminder to those who are fomenting Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them cover up.”
France has so far seized several vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, which transports Russian oil in defiance of international sanctions.
The tanker seized on Sunday was the Cameroon-flagged Smirtos, which was sanctioned by Britain last year for its involvement in transporting Russian oil.
Commandos and the UK National Crime Agency were involved in boarding the ship in the English Channel.
According to ship tracking data, the Smirtos entered Russia’s Luga Bay on June 5 and left the Baltic Sea six days later. Its destination was designated as Port Said, Egypt.
Smirtos’ interception comes just days after the Prime Minister appointed Dan Jarvis as the new defense secretary after John Healy resigned from Starmer’s fragile government over a dispute over the military budget.
“Russia relies on its shadow fleet to finance the Ukraine conflict, and our interdiction will hurt Putin’s illegal war,” Jarvis said.
