UK Commandos Board Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Tanker in English Channel

British armed forces boarded a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday, in the first operation of its kind to disrupt the revenue funding Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Commandos from the Royal Marines, alongside officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), stormed the vessel *Smyrtos* in the early hours. The ship, which sails under the flag of Cameroon, is part of what experts call Russia’s “shadow fleet”—aging tankers used to evade Western sanctions and export oil illegally. The operation involved Chinook helicopters, other aircraft, a frigate, and a minehunter. A statement from the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed the boarding was “successful.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed gratitude for the action, calling it a vital step in cutting off the financial resources that fuel Russia’s invasion.