UK forces intercept Russian shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to cross English Channel

British armed forces have intercepted a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel.

The vessel SMYRTOS was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency, Britain’s Ministry of Defence says in a statement.

The vessel will be held and monitored off the south coast as investigations continue, the statement says, adding that enforcement action in Britain’s territorial waters was carried out in accordance with domestic and international law.

British Prime Minister Kier Starmer says that he directed the interception.

“This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,” Starmer says in a post on X.