The British military boarded a tanker belonging to Russia's shadow fleet
This is according to the BBC.
The operation took place early on Sunday morning. Royal Marine Commandos, supported by the Royal Air Force and officers from the National Crime Agency, intercepted the tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the operation lasted around six hours and was the first mission of its kind for the British armed forces. Footage released shows armed soldiers abseiling onto the vessel from a helicopter, after which they search the premises alongside law enforcement officers.
Why Britain detained the Russian tanker
The tanker Smyrtos is linked to the so-called Russian shadow fleet — a network of vessels that Russia uses to circumvent international sanctions and sell oil. The UK Ministry of Defence stated that such vessels remain one of the Kremlin’s sources of funding during the war against Ukraine. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the operation as another blow to Russia.
“This successful operation deals another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,” he said.
What is known about the tanker Smyrtos
According to MarineTraffic, the vessel flies the Cameroonian flag. Prior to its detention, it was off the coast of Weymouth in the English Channel. BBC Verify established that the tanker had departed on 5 June from the Russian port of Ust-Luga near St Petersburg. Sanctions against the vessel were imposed in 2025. Since then, the tanker has changed its name and the flag under which it operates. The UK has already added more than 500 vessels linked to the transport of Russian oil to its sanctions lists.
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