UK forces seize suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in English Channel

The UK Ministry of Defence says it captures the vas Smyrtos successful an cognition that lasts six hours.

British forces person seized a Russian shadow-fleet lipid tanker that was trying to transit the English Channel, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says.

“This palmy cognition ⁠⁠delivers yet different ⁠⁠blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling ⁠[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s warfare successful ⁠⁠Ukraine that ⁠⁠we volition not fto them hide,” Starmer said ‌‌in a station connected X connected Sunday.

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The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence besides confirmed the aboriginal Sunday seizure of the vas Smyrtos. It said the tanker, sailing nether a Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officials with enactment from Chinook helicopters and different aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter.

“Operations similar this necessitate skill, professionalism and courage. I wage tribute to our Armed Forces unit and each those involved,” Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said successful a statement.

“Russia relies connected its shadiness fleet to money its struggle successful Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a stroke to Putin’s amerciable war.”

The cognition lasted six hours, the ministry said, adding that the vas volition beryllium “provisionally moved to an anchorage disconnected the South Coast of England and volition beryllium monitored for immoderate biology oregon information concerns”.

Last month, the French navy with UK enactment intercepted an lipid tanker suspected of being portion of the shadiness fleet and falsely sailing nether the Cameroonian flag, French authorities said.

In January, French forces impounded different suspected Russian tanker, the Grinch. In March, the Deyna, which sailed from Murmansk nether a Mozambican flag, was detained successful Marseille.

Oil gross is simply a cardinal portion of Russia’s system and helps offset the outgo of the much than four-year warfare connected Ukraine.

Russia is believed to beryllium utilizing a fleet of hundreds of ships to evade planetary sanctions imposed due to the fact that of the war. The UK and different countries person pledged to ace down connected the sanctions-busting “shadow fleet”.

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Britain has imposed sanctions connected much than 500 vessels to date, and the measures are having an interaction with Russia’s lipid and state revenues declining by 24 percent successful 2025 compared with the erstwhile year.

Several Western countries person imposed sanctions connected Russian vessels implicit its 2022 full-scale penetration of Ukraine.

Putin has condemned the seizure of Russia-linked vessels arsenic “piracy”.