UK seizes shadow fleet tanker expelled from Cameroon registry
- Sanctioned, flagless shadow fleet aframax Smyrtos had loaded more than 100,000 tonnes of Russian Urals crude at Ust-Luga and was en route to India
- The tanker was one of 36 shadow fleet vessel deregistered by Cameroon
- The operation, ordered by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, marks the UK’s first direct action against an unflagged shadow fleet tanker since his March pledge to crack down on sanctions
UK forces boarded and seized the unflagged Russian tanker Smyrtos in the English Channel after it was expelled from Cameroon’s ship registry
BRITISH forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker as it attempted to transit the English Channel on Sunday.
Smyrtos (IMO: 9389100), an unflagged aframax tanker, had loaded 101,400 tonnes of Urals crude at Russia’s Ust-Luga terminal on 4 June and was en route to Sikka, India.
Although the vessel has made similar Channel transits in the past, it recently lost its registration with Cameroon, leaving it without a flag.
Cameroon removed Smyrtos and 35 other shadow‑fleet vessels from its registry earlier this month following EU diplomatic pressure to tighten oversight. The tanker had flown the Cameroonian flag since December and was previously registered in Gambia.
Smyrtos has been sanctioned by the EU and UK since October 2025 for its involvement in the export of Russian crude.
While the UK has supported French operations targeting unflagged or sanctioned tankers in recent months, this marks Britain’s first direct boarding of such a vessel since UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged tougher action in March.
Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency officers boarded the Smyrtos, the Ministry of Defence said. The vessel is being held off the south coast near Weymouth while investigations continue. The MoD said the enforcement action took place within UK territorial waters and complied with domestic and international law.
Starmer said he personally ordered the interception. “This successful operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling Putin’s war in Ukraine that we will not let them hide,” he wrote on X.
