US EditionBritish forces cleared to board Russian 'shadow fleet' ships in UK waters
The UK will board and detain Russian shadow fleet vessels to enforce sanctions and disrupt illicit oil exports funding Russia’s war, targeting over 500 sanctioned ships, government said.
- On Wednesday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized British armed forces and law enforcement to intercept, board, and detain sanctioned Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels transiting UK waters, targeting ships that unlawfully breach sanctions to export oil.
- Russia's 'shadow fleet' comprises more than 1,000 ageing tankers with opaque ownership structures, transporting around 75 percent of Russian crude oil to evade Western sanctions imposed since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
- Specialist military units including the Special Boat Service have completed training for rapid interdiction scenarios, utilizing helicopters and fast boats designed to secure a ship's bridge swiftly while minimizing environmental risks.
- Forcing vessels onto longer, costlier routes is the strategic objective; ministers emphasize this policy aims to starve Russian President Vladimir Putin of revenue by making illicit trade less profitable or risk detention.
- At the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Helsinki on Thursday, Starmer called for increased coordination as allies in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected tankers, demonstrating unified European maritime enforcement.
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87 Articles
Keir Starmer's delays in finding justification to seize Russian shadow fleet allowed dozens of vessels to pass through Channel
Sir Keir Starmer’s delay in granting formal authorisation for British forces to seize Russia’s shadow fleet allowed dozens of the oil smuggling vessels to slip through the Channel. In January, the decision to allow the interceptions was announced, but ministers spent the following two months attempting to establish a legal justification for the order. Attorney General Lord Hermer met northern European allies earlier this month to address the mat…
UK Gives Military Green Light to Board Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given the military permission to board ships that make up Russia’s shadow fleet if they are passing through UK waters, including the English Channel. In a statement published on March 25, the British government said Starmer “has agreed that the UK armed forces and law enforcement officers will now be able to interdict vessels that have been sanctioned by the UK and are transiting through UK waters.” “Putin…
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has declared all-out war against Russia's "Shadow Fleet." Starmer has ordered the British military to intercept and seize Russian ships that are selling oil in defiance of sanctions. Britain is now preparing to seize these old and dangerous tankers in the English Channel.
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