Britain intercepts tanker belonging to russia's "shadow fleet" for first time

On the morning of June 14, the British Armed Forces detained the SMYRTOS, a vessel belonging to russia’s “shadow fleet,” in the English Channel.

This is stated in a press release on the UK government website.

"Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency board the ship in the channel, which will disrupt Putin’s war chest," the statement reads.

It is noted that the vessel will now be detained and held under surveillance off the southern coast while the investigation continues.

During the first such operation, Royal Marines and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency boarded the SMYRTOS. The military operation, which lasted six hours, was supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), an RAF P-8 aircraft, as well as HMS SUTHERLAND and HMS LEDBURY.

The russian SMYRTOS will be temporarily moved to a berth off the south coast of England, where it will be inspected for compliance with environmental and safety requirements. It is noted that the actions taken regarding this vessel in British territorial waters were carried out in accordance with national and international law.

In connection with the incident, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer issued a statement:

"This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide. I want to pay tribute to all those involved, including our Armed Forces and law enforcement officers who keep this country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."

In the early hours of this morning, I directed our Armed Forces to intercept a shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel.

This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not…

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 14, 2026

Meanwhile, the country’s newly appointed defense minister, Dan Jarvis, emphasized that "russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers another blow to Putin's illegal war.”

The British side added that the operation builds on recent support provided by the UK to its allies to intercept "shadow fleet" vessels," which included the use of Royal Air Force and Royal Navy assets to support US and French operations. In particular, today’s operation was conducted in close coordination with the French.

The agency reported that the "shadow fleet," comprising over 700 vessels and responsible for transporting 75% of russia’s sanctioned oil, is a vital source of support for the kremlin, creating a war chest that supplies missiles and drones directed against innocent Ukrainian civilians and sustains russia’s illegal war.

"Today’s action sends a clear message to Russia that the UK will use the full range of legal tools available to enforce those sanctions and protect our security," the statement emphasized.

Article 110 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) allows a military vessel to conduct an inspection to verify the flag if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the vessel is stateless. If the vessel is deemed stateless, the UK may exercise powers provided for under its domestic law. Potential domestic powers include provisions on sanctions against vessels under the Russia (Sanctions) (Withdrawal from the EU) 2019, as well as powers under criminal and maritime law enforcement pursuant to the Police and Crime Act 1979.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, it was previously revealed that tankers from the so-called “shadow fleet” of the aggressor country, russia, have begun to avoid sailing near the British coast more frequently, preferring to bypass it via Ireland.

In April, the Swedish Coast Guard detained the tanker Flora 1, which is part of the so-called “shadow fleet.” The reason for the vessel’s detention was an oil spill previously recorded in the Baltic Sea. In May, the country detained its fifth "shadow fleet" vessel.

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