LONDON — British forces seized a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel, the Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.
Royal Marine Commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency boarded the Cameroon-flagged vessel Smyrtos in the early hours of Sunday in a six-hour operation, the first of its kind led by the UK. The tanker was intercepted while attempting to transit the Channel and is now being held and monitored off the south coast of England as investigations continue.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he directed the armed forces to carry out the interception. “In the early hours of this morning, I directed our Armed Forces to intercept a shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel,” Starmer said in a statement.
The Ministry of Defence described the Smyrtos as a sanctioned vessel linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, a network of ships used to transport Russian oil while evading Western sanctions imposed over the conflict in Ukraine. The operation involved support from Royal Navy vessels, including a frigate and a minehunter, as well as RAF aircraft.
No resistance was reported during the boarding, and the crew remained safe, officials said. Details about the tanker’s cargo and exact ownership structure were not immediately released.
The action marks the first time British forces have independently boarded and seized a vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet in UK-adjacent waters. Previous operations involving shadow fleet vessels have included international coordination, such as UK support for French actions.
Russia has relied on the shadow fleet to export oil above the G7 price cap, generating revenue that supports its military efforts in the conflict with Ukraine, according to Western officials. The UK and its allies have intensified efforts in recent months to disrupt these operations through sanctions and maritime interdictions.
The Ministry of Defence said the vessel will remain under UK control while law enforcement and other authorities examine potential sanctions violations. Further details on legal proceedings or potential next steps were not disclosed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the operation as a measure to limit Russia’s ability to fund the conflict, while Russian officials have not yet issued a public response to the seizure.
The incident comes amid broader NATO and allied naval activities aimed at monitoring and countering shadow fleet movements in European waters. The UK government has previously acknowledged that sanctioned vessels have transited British waters in prior periods.
As of Monday, the Smyrtos remained anchored off the south coast pending further investigation.
