British forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday, in an operation praised by Kyiv. The operation lasted six hours and involved Navy commandos boarding the vessel covertly during the night by rappelling from a helicopter, as shown in footage released by the defense ministry. Support for the operation came from Chinook, Merlin Mk4, and Wildcat helicopters, along with a maritime patrol aircraft.
The frigate HMS Sutherland and the minehunter HMS Ledbury also participated. According to the ministry, this was the first UK-led operation of its kind, where Royal Marine Commandos and specialized officers from the National Crime Agency boarded the vessel Smyrtos, which was sailing under a false Cameroonian flag to evade sanctions and continue fueling Russia’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The ship is now anchored off southern England, where authorities will monitor it.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiga welcomed the action, emphasizing that disrupting Russia’s shadow fleet cuts off vital funds for its military efforts. He stated, “Every vessel stopped reduces Russia’s war capacity,” and that cutting these revenues hampers Russia’s ability to finance missile and drone strikes against Ukrainian cities. UK Defense Minister Dan Jarvis echoed this sentiment, highlighting that the interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal invasion and was coordinated closely with France.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the UK has sanctioned hundreds of ships suspected of being part of the shadow fleet—largely older tankers with questionable ownership—that bypass Western embargoes. These vessels are prohibited from entering UK ports and using its services. Jarvis noted that targeting the shadow fleet directly impacts the resources supporting Russia’s aggression and diminishes its threat to European and global security.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated that this operation is yet another strike against Russia, serving as a reminder to those backing Putin’s war that concealment is no longer possible. In March, the UK announced that its forces could board and seize vessels from the shadow fleet passing through its waters, a move part of broader efforts following changes in U.S. policy on Russian oil amid the ongoing embargo and global energy market fluctuations.
European nations—including France, Belgium, and Finland—have also seized vessels suspected of violating sanctions related to Russia’s shadow fleet. There have been reports of these ships damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, hinting at Russia’s hybrid warfare tactics in the region. The UK government is seeking to introduce new legislation aimed at preventing Russia and other hostile states from sabotaging critical subsea internet infrastructure.
Since 2023, multiple incidents of damage to undersea cables and power lines have been reported in the Baltic, with military experts and European leaders asserting that Russia is escalating its hybrid warfare in the region, which is entirely bordered by NATO members except for Russia itself. Former UK Defense Minister John Healey, who recently resigned accusing Prime Minister Starmer of inadequate defense funding, disclosed that UK forces had tracked and deterred three Russian submarines on what appeared to be a covert operation near vital cables and pipelines.
The internal dispute over military funding also involves Healey’s deputy and aides, with the current government under pressure to increase defense spending and strengthen NATO commitments as Russia’s threat intensifies. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged NATO allies to boost their defense budgets and reduce dependency on U.S. security support.
