In First, UK Seizes Russian 'Shadow Fleet' Tanker

British forces just seized a tanker they say is part of Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" that quietly moves oil in defiance of sanctions, reports NPR. Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Sunday confirmed the boarding and detention of the Smyrtos in the English Channel, calling it part of a crackdown on Russian ships used to skirt restrictions tied to the war in Ukraine. "In the early hours of this morning, I directed our Armed Forces to intercept a shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel," Starmer said in a post on X, per CNN. "This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide."

The Defense Ministry described the action as the first UK-led mission of its kind and said the vessel will remain held off England's south coast while it is investigated. The operation was coordinated with France, which has already stopped several suspected shadow-fleet ships. UK officials frame the seizure as "directly bearing down on the resources sustaining Russia's aggression in Ukraine and reducing its capacity to threaten security across Europe and beyond."