United Kingdom Tensions Rise as British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in Channel
Amid rising United Kingdom tensions, the United Kingdom intercepted a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tanker, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel on June 14 in its first UK-led operation against vessels evading sanctions to fund Russia's war in Ukraine. [3] British armed forces boarded the Cameroon-flagged vessel in the early hours on Sunday. [3]
UK-Led Interception of Russian Tanker
British armed forces intercepted the sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel on Sunday, leading for the first time an operation to disrupt the oil revenues that help fund Russia’s war in Ukraine. [3] The vessel Smyrtos, sailing under a Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officials in the early hours on Sunday, with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter. [3] On the morning of 14 June, Royal Marines and specially trained officers from the National Crime Agency boarded the tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel. [4] The military operation, which lasted 6 hours, was supported with aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), an RAF P-8 aircraft, as well as HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury. [4] In the first UK-led operation of its kind, the vessel Smyrtos was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency, despite Russia's best efforts to evade sanctions and continue fuelling its barbaric war with Ukraine. [5] The six-hour operation in the early hours was supported by aircraft, including Chinook helicopters, and navy vessels including the frigate HMS Sutherland. [5]
Government Statements on Impact
“This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X. [3] “Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin's illegal war,” UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said. [4] Disrupting the shadow fleet was directly bearing down on the resources sustaining Russia's aggression in Ukraine and reducing its capacity to threaten security across Europe and beyond, he added. [5] Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the operation delivered yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin's war in Ukraine that they cannot hide. [5]
Next Steps for the Vessel
The tanker will be detained and monitored off the south coast of England as investigations continue, a government statement said after the operation. [3] The Russian shadow fleet tanker will be temporarily moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England, where it will be inspected for environmental and safety risks. [4] The Ministry of Defence said the measures taken against the vessel in UK territorial waters were carried out in accordance with national and international law. [4] The vessel will now be moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and monitored, it added. [5] The UK has sanctioned hundreds of vessels suspected of being part of the shadow fleet used by Russia to bypass Western embargoes since the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. [5]
Context of March Policy Change
Starmer, who is facing a potential leadership challenge and lost his defence secretary last week over a dispute about military spending, had in March given permission for the British military to board and detain Russian ships which Western governments say help Moscow export oil despite Western sanctions. [3] In March, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced that the Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies of the UK will be able to intercept and detain sanctioned vessels from Russia's shadow fleet transiting through British waters. [4] In March, the government announced that British forces would be able to board and seize shadow fleet vessels passing through its waters. [5] The prime minister’s change of stance did not immediately have any impact on the number of Russian vessels under sanctions passing through UK waters, according to a Reuters analysis which showed a similar number transited its waters before and after the announcement. [3]
Coordination with Allies and Ukraine Reaction
The operation was conducted in close coordination with the French. [3] The ministry said the operation built on recent UK support for allied efforts to intercept shadow fleet vessels, including the use of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy assets in support of US and French operations. [4] The interception was conducted in close coordination with France. [4] He said the operation was carried out in close coordination with the French. [5] Until Sunday, Britain’s involvement in efforts to stop the vessels had been limited to supporting French and US operations. [3] The UK has repeatedly taken part in French operations targeting sanctioned Russian shadow fleet tankers. [4] Ukraine welcomed the interception of the vessel, viewing it as a blow to the Kremlin’s war machine. [5] Russia's shadow fleet is a tool of war. Every such vessel stopped means less money for Russia's war machine, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga posted on social media. [5] Cutting off these revenues helps reduce Russia's ability to finance missile and drone attacks against Ukrainian cities. [5]
What to watch next: France, Belgium, Finland and other European countries have also recently seized sanction-busting vessels believed to belong to the so-called shadow fleet, while the UK has said it will propose new legislation aimed at preventing Russia and other hostile states from sabotaging vital subsea internet cables.
