Britain Prepares Forceful Interception of Shadow Fleet Tankers

The UK government has identified a legal mechanism that would allow the military to stop, inspect and detain vessels of the so-called “shadow fleet” that transport oil in violation of sanctions.

The ministers believe that the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2018 can be used for this purpose, including the right to use military force, BBC news reported.

This primarily concerns vessels from Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, which often operate without a valid national flag, depriving them of legal protection in international waters.

Last week, British forces already took part in the seizure of the Marinera tanker, which the United States accused of transporting oil for sanctioned regimes.

The operation took place in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland with the participation of RAF reconnaissance aircraft and the Royal Navy’s auxiliary vessel RFA Tideforce.

Although the British military has not yet boarded such vessels, the government has been preparing for several weeks to move from monitoring to active action.

According to London, the United Kingdom has already imposed sanctions on more than 500 ships of the “shadow fleet,” and about 200 of them were forced to stop their voyages.

The new legal regime allows for action against any sanctioned vessel without a legal flag, including the Marinera, formerly known as Bella 1.

Defense Secretary John Healey said that these actions are “fully consistent with international law” and that London will not allow hostile activities on the high seas to increase.

In parallel, the United States has already seized five shadowy fleet tankers in recent weeks, increasing pressure on illegal oil transportation.

The British government calls the containment, destruction, and elimination of the Russian shadow fleet one of the key tools of economic pressure on Moscow for its war against Ukraine.

Recently, it was reported that tugs for the British naval base with nuclear submarines may be built in China.