U.K. forces intercept sanctioned Russian oil tanker in Channel enforcement move
British authorities move against a vessel linked to Russia's shadow fleet after it is intercepted in the English Channel early Sunday. The tanker, SMYRTOS, is being held off the U.K.'s south coast while investigators examine the case and wider sanctions compliance.
Highlights
- Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officers intercept and board sanctioned Russian oil tanker SMYRTOS attempting to transit the English Channel in the first UK-led operation of its kind.
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer directs the operation as a warning to entities financing Russia's war in Ukraine, with the vessel detained off the U.K.'s south coast pending further investigation.
- Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis states the U.K. has sanctioned over 500 vessels amid increased European enforcement against Russia's shadow fleet suspected of violating oil sanctions.
Channel interception and investigation
As reported by the U.K. Ministry of Defence, Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency board the vessel in what the government describes as the first UK-led operation of its kind.Prime Minister Keir Starmer says he directs the interception as the tanker attempts to pass through the English Channel. In a post on X, he says the operation delivers another blow to Russia and warns those helping finance President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine that they will not be allowed to hide.
The Ministry of Defence says the SMYRTOS will remain off the U.K.'s south coast while investigations continue.
Sanctions pressure on Russia's shadow fleet
The operation comes as European governments take a tougher approach to ships in their waters that are suspected of moving Russian oil in breach of international sanctions. Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis says in the ministry's statement that the U.K. has sanctioned more than 500 vessels as it tries to curb the shadow fleet.Russia criticizes a European Union decision authorizing EU vessels in the Mediterranean to stop and inspect foreign ships suspected of being part of a network transporting Russian oil. Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova says the move threatens maritime security, accuses the EU of intimidating civilian vessels and rejects the term shadow fleet as a political fabrication.
Our earlier article on the U.S. crackdown on shadow fleet oil shipping described a guilty plea by tanker master Avtandil Kalandadze after a weeks-long Atlantic pursuit linked to a vessel carrying Iran-origin oil. We noted that authorities said the ship used concealment tactics such as switching off AIS and obscuring its identity, and framed the case as part of intensified enforcement against networks moving sanctioned cargo.
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