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UK Royal Marines and NCA board Cameroon‑flagged Smyrtos in English Channel in first British‑led operation against a Kremlin‑linked vessel; the six‑hour raid involved special forces and warships and comes amid political scrutiny.
Russian shadow fleet tanker seized by UK forces in Channel raid In a bold move signaling a new phase of enforcement against Moscow' s sanctions -busting operations, a Russian-linked tanker was intercepted and boarded by British forces in the English Channel.
The early morning raid on Sunday, led by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officers, marks the first time the UK has directly seized a vessel suspected of serving in Russia's shadow fleet. The operation, approved by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, has drawn both praise and political scrutiny.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the action as an important step against Russia's oil fleet, but domestic critics questioned its timing, coming days after high‑profile resignations in the defence ministry and just before the G7 summit and a crucial by‑election. The targeted vessel, the Cameroon‑flagged Smyrtos, had departed the Russian port of Ust Luga near St Petersburg on June 5 carrying crude oil. After nine days at sea, it was intercepted in the Channel.
The raid involved a coordinated deployment of military assets: an RAF Poseidon P‑8 surveillance aircraft, the Royal Navy frigates HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury acting as a surface screen, and multiple helicopters-Chinook, Wildcat and Merlin-delivering Special Boat Service (SBS) operatives and 42 Commando troops. SBS soldiers, armed with C8 assault rifles and night‑vision goggles, fast‑roped onto the tanker's deck in darkness to secure the bridge. Royal Marines followed, searching the ship and guarding unarmed NCA officers as they examined paperwork.
All 25 crew members were taken into custody without resistance. Lieutenant Colonel Tom Quinn, commanding officer of the Royal Marines, confirmed the smooth takeover. Following the six‑hour boarding, the Smyrtos was escorted to Portland where it will remain under investigation. The vessel has been subject to UK sanctions since 2025.
The government says the operation had been planned weeks in advance and was carried out in close coordination with French authorities. Within hours, Prime Minister Starmer and the Ministry of Defence disseminated footage of the raid across social media. The strike appears to have deterred three other shadow‑fleet tankers from continuing their journeys through the Channel.
The incident underscores Britain's intent to disrupt Putin's use of a 700‑vessel armada of aging ships that sail under false flags to evade sanctions and fund the war in Ukraine. Conservative MP Ben Obese‑Jecty called the raid convenient, suggesting it was staged to project strength ahead of the G7 and the by‑election. Nonetheless, the operation stands as the first visible British‑led interdiction of a Kremlin‑linked vessel, reinforcing London's commitment to enforcing sanctions and countering Russian shadow‑fleet activities in European waters
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