LONDON — British armed forces have intercepted and boarded a Russian-linked "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the English Channel, in what the UK government described as a major blow against efforts to fund Moscow's war in Ukraine. The operation drew immediate praise from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked Prime Minister Keir Starmer for taking direct action against vessels accused of helping Russia evade Western sanctions.
The tanker, identified as Smyrtos, was intercepted early Sunday during a six-hour operation involving Royal Marine Commandos, National Crime Agency officers, military aircraft and naval support. British authorities said the vessel is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" — a network of ships used to transport oil outside international sanctions regimes.
According to the UK government, the Cameroon-flagged tanker had departed from a Russian port and was heading toward Egypt when it was stopped in the Channel. Officials reported no resistance from the crew during the boarding operation. The vessel is now being held and monitored off England's southern coast while investigators examine possible sanctions violations.
Starmer said the operation demonstrated that Russia's allies and sanction-busting networks "cannot hide," calling it another step in restricting the Kremlin's ability to finance its military campaign in Ukraine. The UK has sanctioned hundreds of vessels linked to the shadow fleet and earlier this year granted its military authority to board and detain sanctioned ships transiting British waters.
Zelenskyy welcomed the move and urged European governments to go even further by introducing legal mechanisms that would allow the seizure of both shadow fleet vessels and their cargoes. Kyiv argues that oil revenues remain one of the most important sources of funding for Russia's war effort.
The interception marks the first UK-led operation of its kind and signals a more aggressive Western approach toward enforcing sanctions on Russian oil exports. Analysts say the move could increase pressure on Moscow's ability to move crude oil through international shipping lanes while raising tensions between Russia and NATO-backed countries.