LONDON — British authorities have launched an investigation into a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” a network of vessels believed to be used to move oil in breach of international sanctions imposed over Moscow’s war in Ukraine, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Sunday.
The tanker, identified as the Smyrtos, was boarded and detained by British armed forces in the English Channel on Sunday in what the U.K. Defense Ministry described as the first operation of its kind led by Britain.
According to the ministry, the vessel will remain under detention and monitoring off England’s southern coast while the investigation continues. Officials said the mission was carried out in close coordination with French authorities, who have previously stopped several ships suspected of links to the shadow fleet.
Western governments believe Russia has relied on a vast network of hundreds of vessels to sidestep sanctions and continue exporting oil despite restrictions tied to the invasion of Ukraine.
“This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that they cannot hide,” Starmer said in a statement.
British officials said the action is aimed at cutting into the financial and logistical networks supporting Russia’s war effort, adding that such operations help weaken Moscow’s ability to threaten security in Europe and elsewhere.
