British armed forces stopped an oil tanker in the early hours of Sunday. The UK Ministry of Defence announced that Royal Marines commandos and specially trained officers from the National Crime Agency boarded the vessel named SMYRTOS.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he ordered the intervention while the tanker was attempting to transit the English Channel. Starmer described the operation as a blow to Russia and said it sent a message to those financing the war in Ukraine that they cannot hide.
Vessel to be held until investigation completed
The Ministry of Defence said the vessel will be held off the south coast of England while inspections continue. The ministry also announced that the United Kingdom has so far sanctioned more than 500 vessels in its crackdown on the shadow fleet.
European countries have also begun taking a tougher line in their own waters against ships attempting to carry Russian oil in violation of international sanctions. The European Union has expanded the mandate of its maritime mission in the Mediterranean to allow the stopping and inspection of foreign vessels assessed as potentially belonging to the shadow fleet.
Russia criticized the move. Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova argued that the EU's decision threatens maritime security and is a tool of pressure targeting civilian ships.
Zakharova also claimed that there is no definition of 'shadow fleet' in international law, calling it a political term invented by the European Union.
