The UK military has intercepted an oil tanker linked to Russia’s shadow fleet in the English Channel, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The tanker, the Cameroon-flagged Smyrtos, was sanctioned last year by the UK for its involvement in shipping Russian oil.

Operation Details

Commandos and the UK’s National Crime Agency were involved in boarding the ship in the English Channel. Ship tracking data shows that the Smyrtos was in the Russian port of Luga Bay on June 5 and left the Baltic six days later. Its destination was given as Port Said in Egypt.

The interception of the Smyrtos occurred just days after the PM appointed a new Defense Secretary, Dan Jarvis, following the resignation of John Healey from Starmer’s government in a dispute over military budgets. Jarvis said, “Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war.”

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.