Zelensky welcomed the British action and defended tougher measures by Europe
British armed forces have intercepted an oil tanker associated with Russia’s so-called “ghost fleet” in the English Channel, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced. This is the first operation of its kind carried out by the United Kingdom.
“In the early hours of this morning, I ordered our Armed Forces to intercept a Ghost Fleet tanker attempting to cross the English Channel,” Starmer wrote in a post on social media site X.
“This successful operation represents yet another blow against Russia and reminds all those fueling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not allow them to hide,” he added.
France had previously intercepted several ships linked to the Russian ghost fleet, used to transport Russian oil around international sanctions.
The ship seized this Sunday is the Smyrtos, which sails under the Cameroonian flag and was sanctioned by the United Kingdom last year due to its involvement in the transport of Russian oil.
Photographs released by the British Ministry of Defense show soldiers approaching the oil tanker in the English Channel. Military commandos and elements of the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency participated in the operation.
Marine tracking data indicates that Smyrtos was in the Russian port of Luga Bay on June 5 and left the Baltic Sea six days later. The vessel’s stated destination was Port Said.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the British action and defended tougher measures from Europe.
Photographs released by the British Ministry of Defense show military forces intercepting an oil tanker linked to the Russian “ghost fleet” in the English Channel.
“Europe urgently needs to adopt legislative measures that will not only allow oil tankers to be detained and restrict oil shipments, but also the oil they are transporting to be confiscated,” he said.
Kremlin envoy Kirill Dmitriev accused Starmer of “using the detention of an oil tanker as a distraction from the migration crisis” affecting the United Kingdom.
Smyrtos’ interception came just days after Starmer appointed a new Defense Secretary, Dan Jarvis, following the dismissal of John Healey, in a context of disagreements over military spending.
“Russia relies on its ghost fleet to finance the conflict in Ukraine and this operation represents a blow to Putin’s illegal war,” Jarvis said.
