British commandos board Russian shadow fleet tanker, Zelensky grateful
British armed forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday, for the first time leading an operation to disrupt the oil revenue that helps fund Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The vessel Smyrtos, sailing under the Cameroon flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency (NCA) officials in the early hours on Sunday, with support from Chinook helicopters and other aircraft, a frigate and a minehunter.
“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,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on social media.
Video of the raid released by the government showed British commandos rappelling onto the vessel, while NCA officials were seen searching through documentation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on social media that he was grateful to Britain for the tanker’s detention. Kyiv has been lobbying its allies to toughen enforcement against the shadow fleet, which it says funds Russia’s war machine.
“Europe urgently needs to take legislative steps to enable not only the detention of tankers and restrictions on oil shipments, but also the confiscation of the oil they carry. This will certainly help bring peace closer,” he said.