The British Navy, under the orders of Prime Minister Keir Starmer, has intercepted a tanker from Russia's 'shadow fleet' for the first time. The operation was conducted in cooperation with France and lasted six hours.
The UK has detained a tanker from Russia's 'shadow fleet' for the first time, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday, June 14. "Early this morning, I ordered our armed forces to intercept a tanker from the so-called 'shadow fleet' that was carrying oil and attempting to pass through the English Channel," Starmer wrote on social media platform X. The detention of this vessel "deals another blow to Russia and serves as a reminder to those who fuel Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not let them escape," emphasized the British Prime Minister.
For its part, the UK Ministry of Defence reported that the operation to detain the vessel Smyrtos, which was attempting to pass through the English Channel, lasted six hours. The Ministry clarified that on the morning of June 14, Royal Marines and National Crime Agency officers boarded the vessel. The operation was conducted in close cooperation with the French side. Additionally, three helicopters from the Maritime Aviation Group, a Boeing P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, and the ships Sutherland and Ledbury provided support during the tanker interception. The Smyrtos will now be moved to an anchorage off the southern coast of the country while an investigation is conducted.
Starmer authorized the military to detain 'shadow fleet' vessels at the end of March
On March 25, Keir Starmer authorized the armed forces and law enforcement officers to inspect and detain vessels subject to UK sanctions that pass through British territorial waters.
The order came amid reports that over 300 ships from Russia's 'shadow fleet' passed through UK territorial waters in the first three months of 2026, as reported by The Daily Telegraph in early April, citing analysts' data. The publication noted that in the first couple of weeks following Starmer's order, none of the "dozen Russian vessels" that passed through the Channel were detained. At least one of the tankers was accompanied by the Russian Black Sea Fleet frigate Admiral Grigorovich.
At that time, the Russian Ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, described Starmer's authorization for the inspection and detention of sanctioned vessels as an attempt to "cloak acts of piracy" in legal form and stated that Russian authorities were working on retaliatory measures. "Let this be a surprise for the British," Kelin said, without specifying what steps were being considered.
Tankers from the 'shadow fleet' have also been detained by the US, France, Belgium, and Sweden
Countries that have imposed sanctions against Russia's 'shadow fleet' have repeatedly detained tankers associated with it. In January-February 2026, such interceptions were regularly carried out by the US as part of pressure on Venezuela. In March, Belgium and Sweden reported the detention of tankers linked to Russia. France has also been conducting interceptions of such vessels, including on June 1 with the support of the Royal Navy.
Leave a comment