Attorney General Lord Hermer has advised ministers that boarding sanctioned Russian vessels could breach international maritime law, explaining why no shadow fleet tankers have been seized despite Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s March pledge authorising commando raids on ships passing through UK waters.
The legal caution became apparent Wednesday when two Russian tankers—including Universal carrying military supplies for Vladimir Putin’s forces—sailed through the Channel escorted by Kremlin frigate Admiral Grigorovich whilst the Royal Navy deployed only RFA Tideforce, a lightly-armed auxiliary support vessel, to monitor the flotilla without intervening.
International maritime law establishes stringent requirements before states can board foreign vessels, with officials obligated to construct legal cases for each operation demonstrating ships have evaded British sanctions—a threshold proving difficult to meet in practice.
A NATO maritime security source told The i Paper that Universal’s cargo included oil, fuel, food and spare parts for Russian military ships “operating at a distance” from Ukraine, with the vessel departing near Saint Petersburg amid Ukrainian drone attacks before collecting its warship escort in the Baltic Sea on 2 April.
The Foreign Office sanctioned Universal in September for exporting Russian oil funding Putin’s Ukraine war, though pictures suggested it sailed not fully loaded, potentially indicating premature departure escaping attacks.
Universal’s companion Enigma—a second sanctioned tanker flying a fake Cameroon flag—completed the three-ship convoy traversing past Dover unchallenged despite Sir Keir’s declaration in March that Britain would “go after” sanction-breaking vessels “even harder.”
A government source rejected claims legal concerns prevented action, stating: “The Attorney General has been working alongside the Defence Secretary to step up action against Russian shadow fleet activity. They both recently convened representatives from Joint Expeditionary Force ally nations to discuss the legal framework for military action.”
Defence Secretary John Healey claimed Russia deploying frigates escorting tankers indicated UK pressure was proving effective, arguing: “If the action we’ve already taken is making Russia re-route its shadow ships or escort its shadow ships with its own warships, then the stance, the military posture, the determined work we’ve done is having an impact.”
Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers in the Baltic, though many traverse the Channel without challenge despite Moscow’s fleet comprising over 1,000 ageing vessels illicitly shipping oil and goods whilst flying foreign flags evading Western sanctions.
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded Sir Keir “all mouth and no trousers” on defence, criticising his failure adequately rearming Britain whilst promising tough shadow fleet action remains unfulfilled.
