British special forces boarded and intercepted a seized Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the English Channel on Sunday, leading the first operation aimed at disrupting oil revenues that help fund Russia's war in Ukraine, Reuters reports.
The Smirtos, which was flying the Cameroon flag, was boarded by members of the Royal Marines and officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) in the early hours of Sunday morning, supported by Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minesweeper.
"This successful operation deals another blow to Russia and reminds those funding Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not allow them to hide," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on the X network.
Video footage of the raid released by the government shows British commandos descending onto the ship using ropes, while the footage also shows NCA officers examining documents.
Colonel Tom Quinn told reporters that the operation carried certain risks, but that it was a basic part of commando training and that they had not encountered resistance.
"Once we boarded the ship and reached the bridge, the communication we had with them was professional and safe, and the crew allowed us to carry out the actions necessary to take control of the ship and transfer it to the anchorage," he said.
Zelensky welcomed the interception
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote on X Network that he was grateful to Britain for holding the tanker. Kiev has lobbied allies to tighten enforcement of measures against the “shadow fleet,” which it claims is funding Russia’s war machine.
"Europe urgently needs legislative steps that will allow not only the detention of tankers and restrictions on oil deliveries, but also the confiscation of the oil they transport. This will certainly help bring peace closer," he said.
The Russian Embassy in London did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The tanker will be detained and monitored off the south coast of England while the investigation continues, the government said in a statement, noting that the operation was carried out in close coordination with France.
The UK has so far sanctioned almost 600 ships from Russia's "shadow fleet", the government has said.
Starmer, who faces a possible challenge from within the party and lost his defence secretary last week in a dispute over the military budget, in March gave permission for the British military to board and detain Russian ships that Western governments say are helping Moscow export oil despite sanctions.
The prime minister's change of stance did not immediately have an impact on the number of sanctioned Russian ships passing through British waters, according to a Reuters analysis, which showed a similar number of ships passed through before and after the announcement.
Until Sunday, Britain's involvement in attempts to stop these ships had been limited to supporting French and American operations.
See more:
Download the app and follow the news
FOLLOW US ON
