UK seizes suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker in English Channel
British forces boarded the Smyrtos in a six-hour operation aimed at vessels accused of helping Moscow evade oil sanctions.
By Daniel Okafor · Business Editor
2 min read
British forces boarded and seized an oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s shadow fleet as it tried to pass through the English Channel, UK officials said Sunday. The operation adds to Western efforts to restrict ships accused of helping Moscow move oil despite sanctions linked to the war in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on X that the seizure was a “successful operation” and another blow to Russia. He said the action was aimed at those helping fund President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence identified the vessel as the Smyrtos and said the seizure took place early Sunday. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis praised the armed forces personnel involved and said Russia uses its shadow fleet to finance the conflict.
The Ministry of Defence said the operation lasted six hours. It said the tanker would be moved provisionally to an anchorage off England’s south coast, where authorities would monitor it for environmental and safety issues.
Western pressure on oil shipping
The seizure follows several recent actions by European forces against tankers suspected of carrying Russian oil or operating through opaque arrangements. French authorities said last month that the French navy, with UK support, intercepted an oil tanker suspected of belonging to the shadow fleet and of falsely sailing under the Cameroonian flag.
French forces also impounded another suspected Russian tanker, the Grinch, in January. In March, the Deyna, which had sailed from Murmansk under a Mozambican flag, was detained in Marseille.
Western governments have increased scrutiny of shipping networks they say are being used to bypass restrictions imposed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The United Kingdom and other countries have pledged to act against the sanctions-busting fleet.
Oil revenue remains a central part of Russia’s economy and helps cover the cost of the war in Ukraine, now in its fifth year. Russia is believed to rely on hundreds of vessels to move crude and petroleum products while limiting the effect of international penalties.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, Britain has sanctioned more than 500 vessels to date. The ministry said those measures are having an effect, citing a 24 percent fall in Russia’s oil and gas revenues in 2025 compared with the previous year.
Several Western countries have sanctioned Russian vessels over the invasion of Ukraine. Putin has denounced the capture of Russia-linked ships as “piracy.”
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.