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UK boards and seizes Russian shadow fleet tanker in English Channel

Al Jazeera · Jun 14, 2026, 7:38 AM · Also reported by 4 other sources

Key takeaways

  • The UK Ministry of Defence says it captures the vessel Smyrtos in an operation that lasts six hours.
  • The United Kingdom Ministry of Defence also confirmed the early Sunday seizure of the vessel Smyrtos.
  • “Operations like this require skill, professionalism and courage.

Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.

The UK Ministry of Defence says it captures the vessel Smyrtos in an operation that lasts six hours.

xwhatsapp-strokecopylinkgoogle Add Al Jazeera on Googleinfo The Kairos oil tanker, a Gambian-flagged vessel believed to be part of Russia's shadow fleet [File: Hristo Rusev/Getty Images]By Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and APPublished On 14 Jun 202614 Jun 2026British forces have seized a Russian shadow-fleet oil tanker that was trying to transit the English Channel, Prime Minister Keir Starmer says.

“This successful operation ⁠⁠delivers yet another ⁠⁠blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling ⁠[Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in ⁠⁠Ukraine that ⁠⁠we will not let them hide,” Starmer said ‌‌in a post on X on Sunday.

Article preview — originally published by Al Jazeera. Full story at the source.
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