British Royal Marine commandos, supported by the National Crime Agency and military assets including HMS Sutherland and RAF P-8 aircraft, intercepted and boarded the Russian shadow fleet tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel on the early hours of Sunday (June 14). The six-hour operation, directed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marks the first time UK armed forces have led a naval capture of a Russia-linked vessel since the start of the war in Ukraine.
The Smyrtos (formerly Myrtos is a Cameroon-flagged oil tanker carrying over 100,000 tonnes of Russian crude oil. It was sanctioned in July 2025 and had been expelled from Cameroon’s registry, leaving it legally stateless.
Commandos fast-roped from helicopters onto the vessel in international waters, capturing 25 crew members who offered no resistance. The ship is now anchored off Weymouth, Dorset, for monitoring and investigation.
The operation aims to disrupt the shadow fleet, a network of over 700 vessels that transport 75% of Russia’s oil exports, thereby choking off a critical revenue source for Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
The interception occurred amidst significant turmoil in the UK government, just days after Defense Secretary John Healey resigned in protest over insufficient defense funding. His successor, Dan Jarvis, stated that the interdiction delivers a direct blow to Putin’s illegal war.
"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," Starmer wrote on X. "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. The interception occurred amidst significant turmoil in the UK government, just days after Defense Secretary John Healey resigned in protest over insufficient defense funding. His successor, Dan Jarvis, stated that the interdiction delivers a direct blow to Putin’s illegal war."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky praised the move as a step toward peace, the Kremlin dismissed the action as a distraction from domestic issues, with some Russian officials suggesting future tankers could be booby-trapped to resist seizure.
