British commandos seize Russian oil tanker in English Channel, crippling Putins war funding
Story Timeline
10 months · 8 summary articles
British commandos seized a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker in the English Channel early on Sunday, the first time the United Kingdom has led a naval capture since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Royal Marine commandos boarded the 183-metre Smyrtos south of the Isle of Wight and redirected it to a British port after intercepting the vessel en route from Russia to India. In a TikTok video released at dawn, Starmer called the operation “yet another blow to Russia and Putin,” adding that it struck at the heart of Moscow’s ability to fund the war in Ukraine.
The seizure follows a surge of Ukrainian drone strikes inside Russia on Saturday night. Footage posted to Telegram shows an An-196 “Liutyi” one-way attack drone striking the Rosrezerv Temp fuel storage depot in Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast, triggering a visible fireball and what local residents described as a “fuel oil rain” coating plants and water surfaces. Ukrainian forces also hit the Lozova railway station in Kharkiv Oblast with drones, injuring a train driver and his assistant and damaging locomotives.
Russian forces retaliated with multiple drone attacks across Ukraine on Sunday morning. Strikes were reported in the Kholodnohirskyi and Kyivskyi districts of Kharkiv, a bus stop in the Zaporizhzhia region—where a 44-year-old man was killed and a 17-year-old boy wounded—and two additional Kharkiv districts with no immediate casualties. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia launched 1,920 drones, 1,790 guided bombs and 17 missiles at Ukraine over the past week, bringing the total to more than 3,500 strike systems in seven days.
The British operation targeted the so-called “shadow fleet” of ageing tankers that Moscow has relied on to evade Western sanctions and continue exporting oil. The Smyrtos, flagged in the Comoros, was carrying a cargo believed destined for Indian refiners and is now under investigation by the UK National Crime Agency. Analysts say the interception sends a signal to Moscow and to third-country buyers that London is prepared to enforce sanctions at sea.
In Moscow, the defence ministry dismissed the UK move as “piracy” and vowed unspecified counter-measures. The Russian embassy in London did not respond to requests for comment. The seizure comes as indefinitely paused peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv remain overshadowed by battlefield developments, with both sides exchanging air attacks and Ukraine warning of further strikes on Russian energy infrastructure.
- 2
- 2
- 1
- 1
2 further sources not geolocated
Articles
Russians attack railway station in Kharkiv Oblast, injuries and damage reported Russian forces struck the Lozova railway station in Kharkiv Oblast with drones on the morning of 14 June, injuring a trains driver and his assistant and damaging locomotives.
ukrpravda · about 2 hours ago
UK intercepts Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in English Channel Prime minister hails yet another blow to Russia as part of effort to clamp down on those fuelling Ukraine war
financial times · about 2 hours ago
Royal Marines board Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in English Channel Marines were joined by National Crime Agency officers in the six-hour long operation in the early hours of Sunday.
bbc · about 2 hours ago
British armed forces intercept Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in Channel Keir Starmer says operation involving National Crime Agency has delivered yet another blow to Russia and PutinKeir Starmer said he directed British troops to seize a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel in the early hours of Sunday, the first time the UK has led a naval capture since the start of the war in Ukraine.The prime minister released a video on TikTok early on Sunday showing heavily armed Royal Marine commandos boarding the oil-laden Smyrtos tanker, which had been sailing south of the Isle of Wight en route from Russia to India. Continue reading...
theguardian · about 2 hours ago
One killed and four injured in Russian drone strike on car in Zaporizhzhia Oblast – photo Russian forces have struck a car with an FPV drone in Bilenke, the Zaporizhzhia district, killing one woman and injuring four people.
ukrpravda · about 2 hours ago
"Fuel oil rain" reported in Russia following drone strike on oil depot Following a drone strike on an oil depot in Russias Yaroslavl Oblast, residents have reported a "fuel oil rain" and oil slicks on plants and water.
ukrpravda · about 2 hours ago
One killed and teenager injured due to Russian strike near bus stop in Zaporizhzhia Oblast Russia has struck a bus stop in the Zaporizhzhia district with a drone, killing a man and injuring a 17-year-old boy.
ukrpravda · about 2 hours ago
Russians attack Kharkiv: baby and four others injured, museum damaged – photos A one-month-old baby and four other people have been injured in a Russian drone attack on Kharkivs Kyivskyi district that also damaged the Kharkiv Art Museum.
ukrpravda · about 2 hours ago
UK says it intercepted Russian shadow fleet tanker
gdeltproject.org · about 2 hours ago
Russian military attacks Bilenke in Zaporizhzhia region; casualties reported One person was killed and four others were injured in an attack on the village of Bilenke in the Zaporizhzhia region.
ukrinform · about 3 hours ago
Russian drone strikes hit two Kharkiv districts; no casualties reported yet Russian forces have attacked the Kholodnohirskyi and Kyivskyi districts of Kharkiv with drones. No reports of casualties have been received so far.
ukrinform · about 3 hours ago
Russian drone strike hits bus stop in Zaporizhzhia region; one killed, minor injured Russian forces struck with a drone near a public transportation stop in the Zaporizhzhia district. A 44-year-old man was killed in the attack, and a 17-year-old boy was wounded.
ukrinform · about 3 hours ago
Russian forces shell Dnipropetrovsk region over 30 times in a day; one killed, three wounded Russian forces shelled communities in the Dnipropetrovsk region more than 30 times in a single day. One man was killed in the enemy attacks, and three others, including a teenage girl, were wounded.
ukrinform · about 3 hours ago
Zelensky comments on UK detention of tanker from Russias shadow fleet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky thanked the United Kingdom for detaining a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker off its coast.
ukrinform · about 3 hours ago
UK forces seize suspected Russian oil tanker accused of funding Ukraine war British armed forces intercepted an oil tanker believed to be part of Russias sanctioned shadow fleet.
aljazeera · about 3 hours ago
Ukrainian Drones Target Key Russian Oil Facility, Chemical Plant Russia and Ukraine continued to exchange air attacks on June 14, as indefinitely paused peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv appear to be overshadowed by developments on the battlefield.
radio free europe · about 3 hours ago