A Russian shadow fleet oil tanker has been intercepted in the English Channel, Keir Starmer has said.
Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), supported by the RAF, boarded the vessel on Sunday morning.
Following the six-hour operation, the vessel, Smyrtos, will be held off England’s south coast to allow for investigations, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
In a statement posted to X, the Prime Minister said: ‘In the early hours of this morning, I directed our Armed Forces to intercept a shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
‘This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide.
‘I want to thank those involved, including our Armed Forces and law enforcement officers who keep this country safe 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.’
<eanwhile, Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said that Russia ‘relies on its shadow fleet’ to fund the war in Ukraine, adding: ‘Our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war.’
Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’carries 75% of the country’s sanctioned oil, according to the MoD, and operates under obscure ownership as a way of getting around international sanctions.
Despite this, the UK has sanctioned more than 500 of its 700 vessels, meaning they are banned from entering UK ports and that British firms and individuals cannot provide financial, insurance, or brokerage services to the ships.