British military forces have detained the oil tanker “Smyrtos” in the English Channel (La Manche). UK authorities have linked the vessel to Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
According to sea-news.az the detention order was issued by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who announced the operation on his account on the social media platform X.
“This successful operation delivers another blow to Russia,” Starmer stated.
The tanker was stopped following a six-hour operation conducted in coordination with France. According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the vessel will remain under the control of the authorities until the investigation is completed.
The ship was subsequently escorted to an anchorage off the coast of England.
This incident is reported to be the first case of British forces detaining a vessel in the English Channel. The Smyrtos sails under the Cameroon flag, while no information has yet been released regarding its crew.
In Western countries, the term “shadow fleet” generally refers to vessels used to transport Russian-origin crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied natural gas (LNG) while allegedly circumventing international sanctions.
