Royal Marine Commandos and law enforcement officers have boarded a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel, in what the government has called the first UK-led operation of its kind, the Ministry of Defence has said.
The vessel, named as the SMYRTOS, was boarded in the early hours of Sunday morning by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained officers from the National Crime Agency, in an operation that lasted six hours. The boarding was supported by aircraft from the Maritime Air Group, including Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat helicopters, an RAF P-8 Poseidon, and the warships HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
The ship will now be moved provisionally to an anchorage off the south coast of England, where it will be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns.
The Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said the operation delivered “yet another blow to Russia” and reminded those fuelling Putin’s war in Ukraine that “they cannot hide”. He paid tribute to the armed forces and law enforcement officers who, he said, keep the country safe “24 hours a day, 365 days a year”.
The Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis said operations of the kind required “skill, professionalism and courage”, and that the interdiction “delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war”, with Russia relying on its shadow fleet to fund the conflict in Ukraine.
The Prime Minister agreed in March that British armed forces and law enforcement officers could board shadow fleet vessels in accordance with international law, and the Ministry of Defence said the enforcement action in UK territorial waters was carried out in line with both domestic and international law. The operation was conducted in close coordination with France, the department said, and builds on recent UK support for allied interdictions, which has included RAF and Royal Navy capabilities backing US and French operations.
The shadow fleet is the term used for the large number of ageing, often opaquely owned and inadequately insured tankers that Russia uses to move its oil in defiance of Western sanctions and the price cap imposed by the G7. The Ministry of Defence says the fleet of more than 700 vessels carries around 75 per cent of Russia’s sanctioned oil, generating a war fund that pays for the missiles and drones used against Ukraine, and that over 72 per cent of the tankers involved are more than fifteen years old, with more than fifty incidents involving the fleet recorded.
The legal basis for the boarding rests on the international law of the sea, with the Ministry of Defence pointing to Article 110 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which permits a warship to exercise a right of visit to verify a vessel’s flag where there are reasonable grounds to suspect it is without nationality. Where a ship is determined to be stateless, the United Kingdom can then exercise powers under its own legislation, including the ship-sanctions provisions in the Russia sanctions regulations and maritime enforcement powers under the Policing and Crime Act.
The United Kingdom has sanctioned almost 600 Russian shadow fleet vessels to date, and the government says the measures are biting, with Russia’s oil revenues down 27 per cent compared with October 2024, the lowest since the start of the war, and ships sanctioned by the UK having carried $1.6 billion less in Russian oil in the first quarter of last year than a year earlier. Today’s action, the Ministry of Defence said, sends a clear message that the United Kingdom will use the full range of legal tools available to enforce sanctions and protect its security.
Starmer trying to look ‘decisive’, instead of a wally.
Interesting that it was now, just after the resignations and months after the bill was passed to let them do it and the big speech about it.
There had been speculations that they hadn’t done previous because of lack of ships to do it, so could just be that they are last had them available, who knows.
Either way a positive step, whatever the driver. Now let’s see this happening more often to show Putin that messing with NATO has consequences.
Well look at that, the Labour government finally found its balls after months of tough talk
How many ships did the tories board in the channel? Zero!
Nave Andromeda.
Grande Temer
Grace 1.
Not all in the Channel sure, and not Russian shadow fleet, which I know was your point. But boarding none the less.
I don’t believe that the tories have a left wing happy to just basically unilaterally disarm?
Always my fear whenever Labour are in power, they are held to ransom by their own left wing MPs.
Difference being they never pledged or banged their chest about boarding Russian vessels, unlike the weasel currently occupying number 10 🙂
Because the Russians finally sailed a false-flagged tanker through the Channel.
Since Starmer’s announcement months ago to seize false-flagged tankers, the Russians have been careful to only sail Russian flagged tankers through the Channel.
Why they’ve been stupid enough to send a false-flagged one, goodness knows. Blunder? Test to see if Starmer would follow through? 🤷🏻♂️
It’s a very good question.
Why now?
What’s changed?
Or, error.
What’s this Spock? A civil comment from you?
I’m going to screenshot this and save it for posterity since it may never happen again 😲
About time, has the new Defence Sec shown hes got a real pair?
He’s an ex para, so yes he has.
Bravo Zulu to all involved.
I know, he’s a do not talk guy, what we need, he’s not a career politician former SF?
With this timing, it’s almost inevitable that people will suspect this as being a Starmer response.
It won’t work….PM, you’re seen as a wet rag with the charisma of a low grade bank clerk.
However, it’s probably just fortunate timing given the planning needed.
“Maritime Air Group” There’s another rebranding for my list…
Curious to know who the “Royal Marine Commando’s” were.
Four Two.
Four Three ( I believe they still train for this as well as the nuke side? )
Or the SBS Sqn currently in role as MCT standby. I understand they rotate and it’s not just M Sqn.
Looks like all the elements I described a week or so ago, if such an operation were to take place. Both Lynx Wildcat Force and CHF have MCT flights, Chinooks assume came from 7 Sqn as they do this stuff all the time
Good stuff.
While I love a great opportunity to bash Kier Starmer, I think it’s probably more to do with the collapse in oil price than anything to do with the DoS resignation. One can image ever tabloid paper lighting up with tip offs from the top brass is Kier suddenly decided to do operation wag the dog to deflect from the resignations.
The noose has been gradually tightening on these ships from the Med to now the middle point in and around the North Sea and the final stage will be the Baltic approaches.
Like it or not the world needed Russian sanctioned oil for the last few months, the calculus is about to change.
Agree. But yes, it’s inevitable many will see it like that.
Can any weapon experts tell what weapon those RM have? Is it SIG MCX?
It the SIG MCX for 42 mate. 43 have the KS1 now. The 42 Protection Teams only do the boarding now. 43 concentrate on Faslane and no longer do that job.
I hope that helps?
It does. It updates my knowledge as said, I thought 43 still dabbled in that.
Asked about the SIG as I knew 42 used it, but, I thought it was issued to 43 as well.
Thanks.
It’s 42 commando and CHF, although they train with 7 squadron as well.
Thanks.
It’s hard to believe the Russians have goofed by finally sending a false-flagged tanker through the Channel now. Ever since Starmer’s announcement they’ve only sent Russian-flagged vessels.
One thought is they believe there might actually be an agreement about to occur between the USA and Iran that would open the Straits of Hormuz. A reopening would see a drop in price for crude and reduce the profit from this tanker’s cargo.🤷🏻♂️
But a profit none the less?
It will be interesting to see what happens to the vessel, if the current government has any gonads (big question mark) then they will off load the cargo (if there is any) then sell the vessel for scrap, or they will just detain it for a time then let it go on it way after a week or two (when the press have got board of the story).
The question has to be asked “why now” is it to show the press we are still in the game after the kick-in they gave the government over Healey resignation, we will just have to wait and see!!!
Good work. Concern if there is environmental risk or no insurance then cargo needs to be preferable off loaded.
Well these false-flagged vessels tend to be old and clapped-out, bought on the cheap since 2022. So off-loading is definitely an option.
All those assets to board a Tanker ?
Maritime interdiction is dangerous and complicated, even if the crew offers no resistance. It requires highly trained personnel and a lot of assets. For example, the only deaths from interdiction operations that have taken place in the last couple of decades weren’t even from enemy action, they were from the boarding process alone.
Been replicated many times before mate.
Chinook and, or, Merlin HC4 for insertion from above.
Wildcat as overwatch with sniper teams.
P8 surveillance
Ships nearby
MCT training also often uses RHIB, HSIC, and other such craft from the SMG as well ( the element of the RM boats specialisation branch that supports the SBS, name might well have changed though ) so curious to see if any RM boarded via boat, or all from above.
Wider intelligence of the vessels coming via the JMSC at Portsdown, Oversight via Com Ops at Northwood, and data from NATO, FIOC at Digby, part of MIXG at Collingwood, and so on. Some abbreviations for you there mate. 😉
Our intelligence apparatus to enable this stuff remains professional and extensive.
Cheers D, I’m there now, It’s just off the YOP Portland.
Your raving reporter Harry the halfwit reporting !
YOP?
Ha, I got you didn’t I !!!!!!!
Young Offenders Prison. well that’s what I call It.
Do a Google and look for the little car park next to the engine shed…… I’ll wave !
I smiled to myself as I was writing it, yes, thought you’d get one back!
Thanks I will. I’d heard there was a prison near there but not totally up to speed on the geography. Assume close to the old RNAS and Tristram.
Lol.
Yes, It’s above the old Firing Range… There Is a lot of old Military sites here and some rather large underground Bunkers but I’m parked In a nice little area with a short walk to the Cliff edge wall.
There’s a small Inshore boat and another larger one but I’m not sure If It’s UK, might be French. Southerland Is to the South (!) and a few RIBs and what looks like an old WW11 Landing craft.
Sir Tristram Is to my left.
Merlins doing low circuits.
All to take a civilian ship with about dozen crew members from the third world getting paid a pittance.
Good practice then. 👍
You’d prefer that it’s left alone?
So you’d prefer unnecessary risks to be taken with people’s lives?…
‘An anchorage off the south coast of England’
That has to be either Weymouth Bay or St Helens Roads. Halfwit, you have some scouting to do.
Morning mate.
I can confirm It’s Weymouth Bay.
Currently I’m sat eating a “Soba Chilli Cup Noodle” with the Tanker just in front of me together with Ledbury and Sutherland plus a couple of smaller boats.
Come joint me, I’m parked behind the old engine shed on the Incline near the YOP.
It’s a great view and nice and Sunny.
I’m sure you live rough there….you always seem to be there or near Bude!
Lol. I have a very expensive Solicitor who lives In Weymouth and I’ve been having meetings with him for a couple of years now.
“Right place at the right time”
Two Merlins doing stuff now. Ships engine was still running and a Merlin flew In and hovered a few feet above the bow.
I have lots of great pics !
Maybe send them to George royalties free.
Keep us updated. 😆
Great Scott, that was quick.
Unfortunately I’m a three hour drive from you and have an A level tomorrow, but it’s good to know that the long arm of the UKDJ comments section reaches even unto the Russian Shadow Fleet.
Lol.
To be fair, I had no Idea about this Until I pulled In to a favourite place to look at the view and BOOM, There It all was right In Front of me.
Portland always has Interesting things every time I visit.
It really should be a Navy Base and Airport what with everything that happens here.
RFA use it, military still train offshore.
Yes, ideally RNAS would reopen but that costs money and Starmer and his left wing subversives to the military are allergic to that.
Go look at the far southern tip of the bill, there’s an interesting MoD site there, testing signatures, run by QinetiQ.
I was reading that In the week, (I was the only one who made a comment on here !).
The Bill Is now out of bounds for me as they have Installed APNR and Barriers In the Car Park.
The Council here seem to hate people In Motorhomes and have made It virtually a no go area.
It doesn’t stop me visiting but It has restricted the overnight options.
Uh oh. ANPR. They have you marked!
Little bit far for me to join you! Over 250m Enjoy the rays Cloudy and not too warm up north
Intrigued to know how long they keep it there
If the govt had any guts there should be a shadowtanker fleet near you now
Do it every day not wait months since announcement in March and let hundreds of tankers through
Seems a bit of overkill with a lot of assets involved
A couple land based helicopters and one RN vessel with Wildcat doing it increasingly regularly would hurt Putin
Hello mate, I’m sort of reporting It here so I’ll keep updating.
You can see my replies to DM above (or Below).
I hope Hermer was ok with all this fine work! Otherwise all involved could be hounded to their graves for doing something illegal.
🤡
Good old express reporting “WW3 fears soar” some of these ‘journalists’ really need to get a grip😂
No sign of WW3 here yet !
I’ll let you know If It all kicks off 😁
Actual story, UK commandos raid a Cameroon flagged tanker with Russian oil in it, in a vainglorious attempt to make our reduced military look somehow relevant.
The fact Starmer is has reduced the DIP makes it clear the UK under the socialists has no intention in getting into an actual fight with with the Russian Military. Just helps its big pals to do so.
And yet, in a straight up fight in the air, in the sea, under the sea, or between soldiers, our professionals would make short work of Russians, given their performance in Ukraine.
So who cares what this is at it’s most basic. I don’t see Russians having the skill.
Hormuz reopens – Starlin grabs a Russian tanker to ‘me too’ look tough now all the big kids have finished their games.
Except it hasn’t reopened… Trump has promised 38 times that Iran was about to sign a deal, why should this time be any different? 🤷🏻♂️
Fantastic news! Now keep the oil