British forces have intercepted and detained a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel, marking the first time the UK has directly led an operation aimed at disrupting the oil revenues that help finance Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The tanker, Smyrtos, sailing under a Cameroon flag, was boarded in the early hours of Sunday by Royal Marine Commandos and officials from the National Crime Agency (NCA).
The operation involved Chinook helicopters, surveillance aircraft, a Royal Navy frigate and a minehunter, highlighting the scale of Britain’s latest move against Russia’s sanctions-evasion network.
Footage released by the government showed commandos fast-roping onto the vessel while NCA officers examined documents and cargo records during the raid.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the operation as a significant blow to the Kremlin’s efforts to fund its military campaign in Ukraine.
“This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,” Starmer said in a post on X.
The tanker will remain detained and under close monitoring off England’s south coast while investigations continue.
The UK government said the operation was carried out in close coordination with French authorities.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the move, thanking Britain for taking action against a fleet that Kyiv says has become a crucial lifeline for Russia’s wartime economy.
“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,” Zelensky wrote on X.
The seizure represents a significant escalation in Britain’s campaign against Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, a network of ageing and often obscurely owned vessels used to transport Russian oil despite Western sanctions.
According to the government, the UK has sanctioned almost 600 shadow fleet vessels since the start of the crackdown.
In March, Starmer authorised the British military to board and detain Russian-linked vessels suspected of helping Moscow circumvent sanctions.
Until Sunday’s operation, Britain’s role had largely been limited to supporting actions led by French and US authorities.