British forces intercept sanctioned oil tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel, dealing a blow to Russia’s war financing in Ukraine.
LondonBritish forces intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker belonging to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel on Sunday, the Defense Ministry said.
The six-hour operation in the early hours was supported by aircraft including Chinook helicopters and naval vessels such as the frigate HMS Sutherland.
“In the first UK-led operation of its kind, the ship SMYRTOS was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency, despite Russia’s best efforts to evade sanctions and continue its barbaric war with Ukraine,” the ministry statement said.
It said the ship will now be towed to an anchorage off the south coast of England and monitored.
Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis said, “Russia relies on its shadow fleet to finance its conflict in Ukraine and our intervention deals a blow to Putin’s illegal war.”
He said the operation was carried out in “close coordination with the French”.
“Disrupting the Shadow Fleet has a direct impact on the resources that sustain Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and reduces its ability to threaten security across Europe and beyond,” he said.
Britain has sanctioned hundreds of ships suspected of being part of a shadow fleet used by Russia to bypass Western sanctions following its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The ships – usually older tankers of questionable ownership – are banned from accessing UK ports and services.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the operation “dealt another blow to Russia and reminded Putin’s warmongers in Ukraine that they cannot hide”.
‘Hybrid War’
In March, the government announced that British forces would be able to board and seize shadow fleet vessels passing through its waters.
The announcement came after Washington eased sanctions on Russian oil to soften prices that have risen due to the US-Israel war against Iran.
France, Belgium, Finland and other European countries have also recently seized sanctions-breaking ships believed to belong to the so-called shadow fleet.
London has said such vessels are suspected of damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea on several occasions.
The government has said it will propose new legislation aimed at preventing “Russia and other enemy states” from damaging vital subsea internet cables.
A series of maritime incidents have occurred in the Baltic Sea since 2023, when undersea cables and power lines have been damaged.
Military experts and European leaders say Russia has stepped up its “hybrid war” in the strategic region – which is now bordered entirely by NATO members except Russia.
Former Defense Minister John Healey, who resigned this week over allegations of failing to provide adequate funding for Britain’s defence, said in April the armed forces had tracked and intercepted three Russian submarines on a month-long so-called “covert operation” in British waters in the North Atlantic near vital undersea cables and pipelines.
Britain is connected to the rest of the world through approximately 64 major undersea telecommunications cables.
