Britain detains tanker suspected of Russia sanctions evasion
UK officials say the sanctioned Smyrtos tanker is being investigated over suspected links to Russia’s shadow fleet.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Britain detained a sanctioned oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday as it investigates suspected links to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said. UK officials say the action targets ships believed to help Moscow move oil despite sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine.
British armed forces boarded and detained the vessel, named Smyrtos, the UK Defense Ministry said. The ministry described the operation as “the first UK-led operation of its kind.”
The ship will be kept under watch off England’s south coast while authorities investigate, according to the Defense Ministry. The ministry said the operation was carried out “in close coordination” with French authorities.
French authorities have previously intercepted several vessels linked to the shadow fleet, according to the Defense Ministry. Russia is believed to be using hundreds of ships to avoid international sanctions tied to the war in Ukraine, British officials said.
Sanctions enforcement at sea
The Smyrtos is sanctioned and suspected of being part of the network moving Russian oil in breach of sanctions, Starmer said Sunday. British officials did not provide further details on the vessel’s cargo, crew or destination.
Starmer framed the detention as part of a wider effort to constrain Russia’s ability to fund the war. “This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide,” he said.
UK authorities said operations of this kind are “directly bearing down on the resources sustaining Russia’s aggression in Ukraine and reducing its capacity to threaten security across Europe and beyond.”
The Defense Ministry did not say how long the investigation would take. It said the vessel would remain held and monitored off the south coast while the inquiry proceeds.
The detention adds Britain to a set of European enforcement actions aimed at vessels suspected of helping Russia sidestep sanctions. UK officials linked Sunday’s operation to previous French actions against ships believed to be part of the same shadow fleet.
This story draws on original reporting from NPR.