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Hind Al Soulia - Riyadh - LONDON — Britain's Royal Marine Commandos boarded a Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the English Channel in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Marines joined by National Crime Agency (NCA) officers, with the support of the RAF, intercepted and boarded the Smyrtos in a six-hour operation — the first of its kind by UK armed forces.
The vessel will be held and monitored off the south coast of England as investigations continue, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.
NCA officers arrested an Indian national, 38, on suspicion of sanctions offenses under the Russia Regulations and he was taken into custody.
The NCA said 24 Georgian and Indian crew remained aboard and were "assisting with the investigation".
There was no immediate response from Moscow, which has previously described similar interceptions as illegal and "bordering on international piracy".
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide."
In video footage shared by the MoD, armed personnel can be seen boarding the vessel by fast-roping from a helicopter.
Further videos show them conducting searches of cabins aboard the vessel, while officers from the NCA inspect paperwork.
Russia has been operating a "shadow fleet" to evade international sanctions imposed on its oil exports.
Responsible for carrying 75% of Russia's sanctioned oil, the fleet of more than 700 vessels provides a critical lifeline for the Kremlin, the MoD said.
The prime minister announced in March that British armed forces were "now able to board sanctioned vessels that are passing through our waters".
The MoD said the UK had sanctioned more than 500 vessels.
The sanctions ban the vessels from entering UK ports and also prohibit British firms and individuals from providing financial, insurance or brokerage services to ships that supply or deliver Russian oil.
According to tracking website MarineTraffic, Smyrtos sails under a Cameroon flag and is at anchor off the coast of Weymouth in the English Channel.
It began its journey on 5 June from Russia's Ust-Luga port, an oil terminal near St Petersburg, before crossing west into the channel on Saturday.
The vessel was sanctioned in July 2025 and has since changed its name from Myrtos to Smyrtos as well as the flag it sails under twice.
The MoD said the operation happened in international waters as it was more than 12 nautical miles from the UK coast.
It said it was in full compliance with both domestic and international law.
The interception was the result of weeks of military and political planning, an MoD spokesman said.
The ministry said the footage had been captured after forces took control of the vessel.
The operation on Sunday was supported with aircraft from the Maritime Air Group and an RAF P-8 aircraft, as well as HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury.
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