UK Forces Take Over Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker SMYRTOS In First Of Its Kind Operation

Royal Marine Commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) boarded the oil tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel during a UK-led maritime operation targeting Russia’s shadow fleet.

The vessel is described as part of a network of ships used to transport Russian oil in ways designed to bypass Western sanctions imposed over the war in Ukraine.

The boarding operation took place in the early hours of Sunday, June 14, 2026, and lasted six hours. It involved coordinated support from multiple British military assets.

These included aircraft from the Maritime Air Group such as Chinooks, Merlin Mk4, and Wildcat helicopters, alongside an RAF P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. Royal Navy vessels HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury also supported the mission.

According to UK authorities, the tanker had reportedly departed from Russia’s Baltic port of Ust-Luga and was suspected of operating within the shadow fleet system used to move sanctioned oil.

An Indian national was arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences, and the vessel is now being held at an anchorage off the south coast of England while investigations continue.

UK officials described the operation as a significant step in disrupting financial flows supporting Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. Ukrainian officials also welcomed the move, saying it reduces revenue reaching Moscow’s war effort.

The operation marks an escalation in UK enforcement actions against Russia’s shadow fleet, carried out in coordination with international partners including France.