Maha Christopher
British armed forces have intercepted a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the English Channel during a six hour operation aimed at disrupting efforts to evade international sanctions imposed on Moscow.
According to the BBC, the vessel, identified as Smyrtos, was boarded in the early hours of Sunday by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained officers from the National Crime Agency, with support from the Royal Air Force.
The UK Ministry of Defence said the tanker is being held and monitored off the south coast of England while investigations continue.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the operation as a significant blow to Russia’s ability to sustain its war effort in Ukraine.
“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,” Starmer said.
Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis also welcomed the interception, stating that Russia relies heavily on its shadow fleet to generate revenue used to finance the conflict in Ukraine.
“Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war,” Jarvis said.
The operation involved aircraft from the Maritime Air Group, an RAF P 8 surveillance aircraft, as well as Royal Navy vessels HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
According to the Ministry of Defence, Russia has increasingly relied on a network of oil tankers operating under obscure ownership structures to bypass sanctions targeting its oil exports.
The so called shadow fleet is estimated to consist of more than 700 vessels and is believed to transport about 75 per cent of Russia’s sanctioned oil exports.
The UK government has already imposed sanctions on more than 500 vessels linked to the shadow fleet as part of wider efforts to restrict Russia’s ability to finance the war in Ukraine.
