UK Intercepts Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker in English Channel.

British armed forces intercepted a vessel from Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced.

The UK Ministry of Defence said that Royal Marines commandos and specially trained officers from the National Crime Agency inspected a sanctioned oil tanker during a six-hour operation. It was the first operation of its kind led by the United Kingdom.

The tanker will be temporarily moved to a secure area off England’s southern coast, where it will be monitored for potential safety and environmental risks.

According to the Ministry of Defence, the operation also involved aircraft from the Joint Aviation Group, including Chinook, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat helicopters, a Royal Air Force P-8 aircraft, and the naval vessels HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.

In a statement, Starmer said the operation delivers another blow to Russia and sends a clear message to everyone supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine that they will not remain beyond the reach of the authorities.

I want to express my gratitude to all those involved in the operation, including the military personnel and law enforcement officers who work around the clock throughout the year to keep our country safe, he added.

UK Defence Minister Dan Jarvis said such operations require a high level of professionalism, skill and courage.

Russia relies on its shadow fleet to finance its war in Ukraine, and this operation strikes at the Kremlin’s ability to sustain that illegal aggression, Jarvis stressed.

Despite Putin’s attempts to evade sanctions, the United Kingdom will not allow such actions to go unchallenged. The operation demonstrates London’s determination to disrupt the financing of Russian aggression through the shadow fleet.