British armed forces intercepted a Russian Shadow Fleet vessel in the English Channel on Sunday morning, a move confirmed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
According to the Ministry of Defence, commanders from the Royal Marines, supported by specially trained agents from the National Crime Agency, carried out a six-hour operation to board the oil tanker, which is subject to sanctions. This marks the first such operation led by the British. The tanker, identified as the “Smyrtos,” is being temporarily moved to a secure anchorage off the English south coast, where it will be monitored for any potential environmental or safety risks.
The operation was backed by a substantial military deployment, including aircraft from the Maritime Air Group (Consisting of Chinooks, Merlin Mk4, and Wildcat helicopters), a P-8 reconnaissance plane from the Royal Air Force, and the warships HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
Starmer stated that the operation constitutes another significant strike against Russia, serving as a reminder to those promoting Putin’s war in Ukraine that they have no place to hide.
