Russian shadow fleet vessel formally detained off Weymouth

The Russian shadow fleet vessel, intercepted by British troops yesterday (Sunday), has now been formally detained, the Transport Secretary has said.

Royal Marine commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency seized the tanker Smyrtos in the Channel early on Sunday, in the first UK-led operation to capture a sanctioned vessel.

Under the terms of an order issued by Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Monday, the vessel is now formally prevented from leaving the UK.

The ship, which sailed under the flag of Cameroon but is described as “stateless” by the UK Government, remains anchored off Weymouth, in Dorset, along with Royal Navy vessels HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury that took part in the operation.

Ms Alexander said: “Today, I took the decision to detain a sanctioned shadow fleet vessel travelling through the Channel, carrying the Russian oil which helps fund Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine.”

A 38-year-old Indian national has also been arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences, and it is understood another 24 Georgian and Indian crew members remain on board and are assisting the investigation.

Moscow’s shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers which illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine began.

British forces have already been involved in tracking shadow fleet vessels for several years and have supported operations by other countries to seize the ships.

But Sunday’s operation was the first time UK personnel had seized a sanctioned vessel directly as the Government tries to force shadow fleet ships to take longer, more expensive routes or risk being intercepted.

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