Britain Detains Russian “Shadow Fleet” Tanker
15.06.2026 - 09:20
British military intercepted an oil tanker belonging to the Russian “shadow fleet” that was trying to pass through the English Channel.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced this on the social network X.
“This successful operation deals another blow to Russia and reminds those who fuel Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,” he wrote.
A press release on the British government website reports on the detention of the “shadow fleet” vessel SMYRTOS. On the morning of June 14, British troops boarded the tanker in the English Channel.
The vessel is currently under surveillance off the southern coast of Britain while an investigation is ongoing.
The military operation, which lasted 6 hours, was supported by aircraft from the Naval Aviation Group (Chinook, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat), a Royal Air Force P-8 aircraft, as well as the ships HMS SUTHERLAND and HMS LEDBURY.
USM previously reported that France and the United Kingdom had detained a shadowy tanker leaving Murmansk.
