Britain seizes Russian oil tanker in shadow fleet crackdown
British armed forces detained the Smyrtos in the English Channel on Sunday, marking the first UK-led operation against vessels believed to evade oil sanctions.
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Britain detained a sanctioned oil tanker on Sunday that is suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet"—a fleet of hundreds of ships believed to be evading international sanctions over Moscow's war on Ukraine.
British armed forces boarded and detained the vessel, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel on Sunday in what the country's Defense Ministry called "the first UK-led operation of its kind." The vessel will be held and monitored off the south coast of England for investigation.
The operation was carried out "in close coordination" with French authorities, who have previously intercepted other vessels linked to the shadow fleet.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move delivers "yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine that they cannot hide." UK authorities stated that such operations are "directly bearing down on the resources sustaining Russia's aggression in Ukraine and reducing its capacity to threaten security across Europe and beyond."