According to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the British military stopped an oil tanker from the so-called Russian shadow fleet that wanted to pass through the English Channel.
June 14, 2026, 09:53June 14, 2026, 09:53
The head of government said on Platform X that he had instructed the armed forces to intercept the ship early in the morning. The successful operation deals a further blow to Russia and reminds those who are fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide.
The British army stops a tanker from Russia’s shadow fleet. (symbol image)Image: keystone
According to the British Ministry of Defense, the ship is the almost 244 meter long oil tanker “Smyrtos”, which, according to the website Marinetraffic.com, sails under the Cameroon flag and comes from a Russian port.
Six-hour operation against Shadow Fleet ships
Navy forces and specially trained officers from the national criminal police boarded the ship, the British ministry said in a statement. The military operation lasted six hours. “The vessel is now being detained and monitored off the south coast while the investigation continues.”
The Prime Minister agreed in March that British armed forces and law enforcement agencies would be allowed to board Shadow Fleet ships. The operation was carried out in close coordination with France. The ship is now being checked for environmental and safety deficiencies.
“Russia is financing its conflict in Ukraine with its shadow fleet, and our interception is a blow to Putin’s illegal war,” Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis said, according to the statement.
Ships are being stopped and checked more and more frequently
With ships from the so-called shadow fleet, Russia is trying to circumvent the sanctions imposed by its Western allies because of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. According to British information, there are more than 700 ships. The ships are often stopped and checked. Two weeks ago, France inspected an oil tanker coming from Russia in the Atlantic – according to Paris, also with the support of Great Britain. At the time, the Kremlin criticized such actions as bordering on “international piracy.” Russia has been waging war against Ukraine for more than four years. (sda/dpa)