Royal Marines have boarded a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in a dramatic overnight operation in the English Channel, in the first such interception since the government granted the armed forces powers to seize sanctioned vessels in UK waters earlier this year.
Forces used helicopters to take control of the tanker, named the Smyrtos, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the operation on X, writing: “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. This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide. I want to thank those involved, including our Armed Forces and law enforcement officers who keep this country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
The operation marks the first time UK forces have actually boarded a sanctioned vessel since Starmer announced in March, ahead of a Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Helsinki, that the armed forces and law enforcement would be authorised to stop, board and detain Russian shadow fleet tankers transiting British waters. At the time, Starmer framed the move as a direct strike against Vladimir Putin’s war finances, saying: “Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets. That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign.”
In the months since that announcement, the policy had faced sustained criticism for failing to result in any action, with more than 25 sanctioned vessels reported to have passed through British waters unchallenged in the days that followed, according to the Telegraph. In one notable incident in April, the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich escorted two sanctioned tankers through the Dover Strait while the Royal Navy could do little more than monitor their passage with a support vessel and lightly armed patrol ships.
Sunday’s operation comes at a politically turbulent moment for Starmer, who has faced what has been described as a meltdown over military funding in recent weeks. Defence Secretary John Healey resigned last week, accusing the Prime Minister of failing to keep the country safe. The successful boarding of the Smyrtos will be seen by Downing Street as an opportunity to demonstrate that the government’s earlier pledges on the shadow fleet were more than rhetoric, after months in which critics, including maritime law experts and former naval officers, had questioned whether the UK had either the legal clarity or operational appetite to follow through on its threats.
The shadow fleet has become a key target for Western governments seeking to disrupt funding for Russia’s war in Ukraine. More than 600 tankers have been sanctioned by the UK, EU and US over their links to Moscow, with vessels typically operating under obscure ownership, lacking standard insurance, or flying false flags. According to the Atlantic Council, the network is estimated to carry around 75 per cent of Russia’s crude oil exports.
