Royal Marine Commandos, working with officers from the National Crime Agency and supported by RAF aircraft, intercepted and boarded a Russian-flagged shadow-fleet oil tanker in the English Channel in the early hours of Sunday. The six-hour operation — the first of its kind by UK armed forces — involved fast-roping from a helicopter onto the vessel and systematic searches of cabins while law-enforcement teams examined paperwork.
The ship, identified as Smyrtos, will be held and monitored off England’s south coast as investigations continue, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said. Tracking data shows Smyrtos at anchor off Weymouth; it began its voyage from Ust-Luga, Russia, on 5 June. The vessel was sanctioned in July 2025 and has since changed name and flag several times; it currently sails under a Cameroon flag, according to MarineTraffic.
The MoD said the interception took place in international waters, more than 12 nautical miles from the UK coast, and was carried out in full compliance with domestic and international law after weeks of military and political planning. Assets involved included aircraft from the Maritime Air Group, a Royal Air Force P-8, and the Royal Navy ships HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
Officials described the operation as part of a wider effort to disrupt Russia’s so-called shadow fleet — a network of more than 700 tankers the MoD says carries about 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil and helps the Kremlin evade Western restrictions. The UK has imposed sanctions on more than 500 vessels; those measures bar the ships from UK ports and prevent British firms and individuals from supplying financial, insurance or brokerage services to them.
Political and international reaction was swift. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the action delivered “another blow to Russia” and warned those helping to fuel the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine would not be allowed to hide. The Attorney General said the government would pursue the shadow fleet under international law.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the UK and urged Europe to adopt laws allowing detention of tankers, restrictions on shipments and confiscation of oil cargoes. Opposition figures and ministers also praised the military and law-enforcement personnel involved. There was no immediate comment from Moscow, which has in the past called similar seizures illegal.
The MoD said the operation was conducted in close coordination with France. French authorities have recently acted against vessels suspected of aiding Russia’s oil exports, and France and the UK continue to exchange support in such missions.
The boarding comes against a backdrop of domestic debate over defence funding and the government’s Defence Investment Plan. Recent resignations from defence posts have highlighted tensions about spending levels and the resources needed to confront current threats, even as ministers emphasize the importance of disrupting revenue streams that fund the war in Ukraine.
