UK armed forces intercept Russian shadow fleet in Channel, PM says

British armed forces successfully intercepted a Russian oil tanker suspected of belonging to the "shadow fleet" in the English Channel early Sunday morning. The operation, a joint effort involving Royal Marine Commandos, law enforcement officers, and the RAF, lasted six hours.

The vessel, identified as Smyrtos, was boarded and is now being held and monitored off the south coast of England as investigations continue. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis stated that the interdiction delivers a blow to Vladimir Putin's illegal war in Ukraine, emphasizing that Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund the conflict.

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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.

Russia has been utilizing a shadow fleet of tankers with opaque ownership to circumvent international sanctions on its oil exports. This fleet, comprising over 700 vessels, is responsible for transporting approximately 75% of Russia's sanctioned oil, providing a crucial revenue stream for the Kremlin. The UK has already sanctioned over 500 such vessels, prohibiting them from entering British ports and barring British firms from offering financial or insurance services to ships involved in supplying Russian oil.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed the operation was conducted in close coordination with French authorities. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously announced on June 1 that French military forces, with UK support, had intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia's shadow fleet.

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Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin's illegal war.