UK seizes suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker
Key takeaways
- UK forces on Sunday intercepted a sanctioned Russian ship, with navy commandos rappelling onboard from helicopters.
- They are also suspected of damaging undersea cables in the Baltic Sea as part of Russia's "hybrid war" against NATO-member-state neighbors.
- "Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund their conflict in Ukraine and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin's illegal war," UK Defence Secretary Dan Jarvis was quoted as saying.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
UK forces on Sunday intercepted a sanctioned Russian ship, with navy commandos rappelling onboard from helicopters. The UK and Ukraine hailed the move, saying it robbed Russia of money for its ongoing war of aggression.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FNDEUntil now, the UK had consigned itself to supporting roles in the interdiction of Russian shadow fleet vessels Image: LPhot Hutchins/Royal Navy/AP Photo/picture alliance Advertisement The UK Ministry of Defence (Mo D) on Sunday issued a press release announcing that Royal Marine Commandos had captured a sanctioned Russian tanker in the Channel in what it called "the latest blow to Russia's war economy."
The vessel, named SMYRTOS and flying under Cameroonian flag, is thought to be part Russia's so-called shadow fleet — a network of ships that clandestinely transport sanctioned Russian fuel, delivering it to buyers willing to flout international sanctions and fund Vladimir Putin's war of aggression in Ukraine.