UK Seizes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker Departing Ust-Luga

The British Armed Forces have seized a Russian tanker for the first time since the British government authorized the interception of vessels belonging to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” on March 25, 2026.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the operation on his X account.

The vessel involved was the oil tanker SMYRTOS, sailing under the Cameroonian flag. It had departed from the port of Ust-Luga and was heading to an undisclosed destination.

Members of the Royal Marines, supported by officers from the National Crime Agency, boarded the tanker.

The operation lasted six hours. To support the mission and maintain surveillance throughout, the UK military deployed Chinook, Merlin Mk4, and Wildcat helicopters from the Maritime Air Group, the Royal Navy’s aviation arm.

In addition, the operation was monitored by a P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol and anti-submarine aircraft of the Royal Air Force, as well as by surface vessels, including HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.

Following the seizure, the tanker will be towed to an anchorage off the south coast of England for further monitoring and investigation.

On May 31, 2026, Militarnyi reported that Russian “shadow fleet” vessels had entered UK waters more than 200 times despite the government having granted authorities the power to detain them.

According to the investigation, vessels linked to Russia have regularly transited through the UK’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone, using routes through the English Channel and the North Sea.

Of the 205 vessels identified, 84 entered UK territorial waters, while the remaining ships passed through the country’s exclusive economic zone.

Despite these incursions, the UK had not seized a single vessel from Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” until now.

The seizure follows a policy change introduced in March 2026, when the British government authorized the armed forces and law enforcement agencies to intercept and detain Russian “shadow fleet” vessels operating within UK territorial waters.