UK Seizes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker After Putin Threatens Retaliation

Sun Sep 06 2026 02:36:59 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Britain has seized the MT Smyrtos, a Russian oil tanker part of a shadow fleet, amid Putin's threat to respond to Western raids.

Britain seized the MT Smyrtos, a Russian tanker linked to a shadow fleet, after Vladimir Putin warned of retaliation for such moves. Royal Marines boarded the vessel off Weymouth in June, asserting the action complied with international law. The UK defence claims the vessel carried sanctioned Russian oil, and it has over 700 ships in its shadow fleet fueling the war in Ukraine. The EU has sanctioned 630 such ships, while Russia accuses the West of running its own shadow fleet. The UK stresses its operations are lawful and distinct from the alleged Russian practices.

UK Seizes Russian Shadow Fleet Tanker After Putin Threatens Retaliation

Britain has seized the MT Smyrtos, a Russian oil tanker that the Ministry of Defence says is part of a clandestine “shadow fleet” used to bypass international sanctions. The vessel was boarded by Royal Marines on 15 June, when it was anchored off Weymouth and secured for further inspection.

Russian President Vladimir Putin reacted to the move by warning that Russia would “respond in kind” to any further seizures, saying the UK’s actions were “piracy and banditry” and threatened possible retaliation “wherever we deem it necessary.”

“We have the capacity to inspect and detain vessels of unfriendly states,” said veteran Pacific Fleet commander Viktor Liina, accusing Britain and France of operating their own shadow fleets. The UK government dismissed the allegation, describing its operation as “in full accordance with international law.”

The Ministry of Defence estimates that Russia’s shadow fleet contains more than 700 ships carrying about 75 % of the country’s sanctioned oil, a supply it claims fuels the Kremlin’s war in Ukraine. In 2024 the EU began listing individual vessels, naming the group “Putin’s dark fleet,” and has sanctioned 630 ships as of mid‑August 2026.

The seizure follows a series of European actions, including the Italian navy’s inspection of a suspicious tanker in the central Mediterranean and the EU’s banning of dozens of suspected vessels from its ports.

The UK says its armed forces are operating “firmly in line with international maritime law,” contrasting the alleged behaviour of Russian shadow fleet vessels.