Keir Starmer has given the go ahead for British military and law enforcement to seize Russian oil tankers trying to evade sanctions to swell Vladimir Putin’s coffers
British forces will be able to storm Russian shadow fleet ships as they pass through UK waters to stop the Kremlin exploiting the Iran crisis to fuel its war machine.
Keir Starmer has given the go ahead for British military and law enforcement to seize oil tankers trying to evade sanctions to swell Vladimir Putin’s coffers.
British forces assisted the US in a dramatic raid on the Marinera tanker south of Iceland in January. The vessel, formerly known as the Bella-1, had been accused of breaching oil sanctions in Venezuela.
The UK also recently backed the French navy in the seizure of an oil tanker in the Mediterranean. However British commandoes did not previously have permission to board these vessels.
Announcing the move, the Prime Minister said: “We are living in an increasingly volatile and dangerous world, facing threats from different fronts across the world every day. As Prime Minister, my first duty is to keep this country safe and protect British interests here and abroad.
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“Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets. That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.
“He and his cronies should be in no doubt, we will always defend our sovereignty and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Mr Starmer is expected to travel to Helsinki today for a summit with Nordic and Baltic allies on the Joint Expeditionary Force on how to combat and increasingly aggressive Russia.
The UK is ramping up pressure on Moscow’s shadow fleet, which is believed to include more than 1,000 ageing tankers illegally shipping oil and goods to funnel cash to Putin’s war machine.
Around 75% of Russia’s crude oil is transported by this aging fleet of ships – with some 544 vessels already under sanctions by the UK and other allies.
These decrepit vessels have also been accused of sabotaging undersea cables, which carry critical telecommunications data and energy supplies such as electricity, oil and gas.
Attacks on this infrastructure could cause “catastrophic disruption” to financial and communications systems, the National Security Strategy Committee warned last year.
Blocking off UK waters, including the Channel, will force ships to take longer, more costly routes, or risking being detained by British forces.
Military and law enforcement specialists have been taking part in war-game scenarios in recent weeks, including boarding vessels that refuse to surrender, are armed, or use high-tech surveillance to evade capture.
Once a ship is detained, criminal proceedings may be brought against the against the owners, operators and crew.
