UK Royal Marines Intercept Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in the English Channel

Early Sunday morning, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer directed British Armed Forces to intercept the SMYRTOS, an oil tanker belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” as it attempted to transit the English Channel. The six-hour operation involved Royal Marines, the National Crime Agency, and air and naval support. The vessel was boarded and relocated to an anchorage off England’s south coast for environmental and security inspections.