UK intercepts oil tanker from Russia's shadow fleet in English Channel
Key takeaways
- Issued on: 14/06/2026 - 10:39Modified: 14/06/2026 - 10:39
- The six-hour operation in the early hours was supported by aircraft, including Chinook helicopters, and navy vessels including the frigate HMS Sutherland.
- The vessel will now be moved to an anchorage off the south coast of England and monitored, it added.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
British forces intercepted a UK-sanctioned oil tanker accused of belonging to what has been dubbed Russia's "shadow fleet" in the English Channel on Sunday, in what the country’s defence ministry called "the first UK-led operation of its kind".
Issued on: 14/06/2026 - 10:39Modified: 14/06/2026 - 10:39
By: FRANCE 24 File photo: The Mozambican-flagged oil tanker "Deyna", suspected of belonging to Russia's "shadow fleet", is seen off the coast near the Rainaires beach, close to Port-de-Bouc, in Martigues on March 25, 2026. © Miguel Medina, AFP British forces on Sunday intercepted a UK-sanctioned oil tanker accused of belonging to Russia's shadow fleet in the English Channel, the defence ministry said.