British forces intercept Russian shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to cross English Channel

British armed forces on Sunday intercepted a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker attempting to pass through the English Channel.

The vessel SMYRTOS was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency, Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

The vessel will be held and monitored off the south coast as investigations continue, the statement said, adding that enforcement action in Britain's territorial waters was carried out in accordance with domestic and international law.

British Prime Minister Kier Starmer said that he had directed the interception.

"This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide," Starmer said in a post on X.

(Reporting by Gursimran Kaur in Bengaluru; Editing by Elaine Hardcastle)