UK Fails to Intercept Sanctioned Russian Tankers Despite Promised Boarding Powers
Britain has stopped just one Russian shadow fleet tanker in almost eight months since ministers gave the Armed Forces powers to board sanctioned ships in British waters.
A defence minister has admitted that the Smyrtos, seized in the Channel in June, “remains the only vessel that has been interdicted”, while the Ministry of Defence refuses to say whether sanctioned traffic through UK waters has gone up or down. The admission came in a written answer from the Armed Forces Minister, Louise Sandher-Jones, published on Wednesday.
Limited Impact of Boarding Powers
The one operation so far was a credit to those who carried it out. In the early hours of 14 June, Royal Marines from 42 Commando and National Crime Agency officers boarded the Smyrtos in the Channel in a six-hour operation backed by HMS Sutherland, HMS Ledbury, Merlin, Wildcat and Chinook helicopters and an RAF P-8 Poseidon.
The tanker has been held at anchor off Portland ever since, detained by the Transport Secretary under Russia sanctions regulations. Its master has been charged with breaching sanctions on Russian oil and is awaiting trial. Asked last week what the Government intends to do with the ship, transport minister Keir Mather said: “I will not make specific comment on operational decisions, as to do so would only benefit Russia.”
Ministers Claim Threat of Boarding is Effective
Ministers argue that the threat of boarding is doing much of the work. In October, Foreign Office minister Stephen Doughty told MPs there had been “a significant diversion of Shadow Fleet vessels away from the English Channel owing to the risk of being interdicted”. There is evidence for that. Ship-tracking data reported by The i Paper in July showed most sanctioned tankers took the longer route around the north of Scotland in the fortnight after the seizure, adding days to their voyages, though the overall number passing through Britain’s exclusive economic zone rose.
Lack of Transparency on Sanctioned Traffic
But ministers will not say what has happened since. When Liberal Democrat MP James MacCleary asked whether the number of such vessels transiting UK waters had risen or fallen since March, the Armed Forces Minister declined to answer. “We will not provide a running commentary or get into details of our decision-making process as this could compromise our ability to successfully take action against sanctioned ships,” she said.
Channel Remains Open to Sanctioned Traffic
Nor has the Channel been closed. Late last month the Talisman, a tanker on the UK sanctions list since July 2025, sailed through the Channel carrying Russian diesel from the Baltic, according to ship-tracking reported by the Financial Times and France 24. It was among the first cargoes sent under Donald Trump’s diesel deal with Vladimir Putin, before it turned south for the Mediterranean.
Sanctions Regime Under Review
Britain has now sanctioned 640 shadow fleet vessels, according to the Foreign Office, up from 544 when the boarding powers were announced. The Government says the fleet carries around three quarters of Russia’s crude oil, money that pays for the war in Ukraine.
Original Article: Only one Russian shadow fleet tanker stopped since Labour promised to board them — Co