UK marines board Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in English Channel, PM says

British armed forces boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel in the early hours of Sunday morning, PM Keir Starmer has said, Report informs via BBC.

In an operation lasting six hours, Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency intercepted the vessel and, for the first time, boarded it, supported by the RAF.

The vessel, Smyrtos, will be held and monitored off the south coast of England as investigations continue, the MoD said in a statement.

PM Keir Starmer said: "This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide."

According to tracking website MarineTraffic, Smyrtos sails under a Cameroon flag and is at anchor off the coast of Weymouth in the English Channel.

It began its journey on June 5 from Russia's Ust-Luga port, an oil terminal near St. Petersburg, before crossing west into the channel on Saturday, BBC Verify has found.

The vessel was sanctioned in July 2025 and has since changed its name from Myrtos to Smyrtos as well as the flag it sails under twice.

Russia has been operating a "shadow fleet" of tankers to evade international sanctions imposed on its oil exports.

Responsible for carrying 75% of Russia's sanctioned oil, the shadow fleet of over 700 vessels provides a critical lifeline for the Kremlin, the MoD said.

The prime minister announced in March that British armed forces were "now able to board sanctioned vessels that are passing through our waters".

The MoD said the UK has sanctioned more than 500 vessels.

The sanctions ban the vessels from entering UK ports and also prohibit British firms and individuals from providing financial, insurance, or brokerage services to ships that supply or deliver Russian oil.