Britain's first interception of a suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker has been described as a "deeply cynical ploy" to help protect Sir Keir Starmer's image, according to a former commander. Royal Marines boarded and seized the Smyrtos in a six-hour operation in the early hours of Sunday morning in the English Channel.
The operation came at the end of a tumultuous week for the Prime Minister, which saw Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns resign over a deepening military spending row. Tom Sharpe, who commanded four warships during a 27-year Royal Navy career, questioned the timing of the interdiction.
Speaking to the Express, Sharpe said: "We’ve had well over 100 [shadow fleet vessels] pass us since we last said we were going to do something about it in March, and we haven’t. There’s just no way that the perfect one happened to pop up just as everything else is descending into farce. So, this is a deeply cynical ploy to make defence look robust, to make Starmer look robust. But there’s a conflict, because it’s also the right thing to do."
He added: "Why didn’t we do this a week ago, or two weeks ago, or a month ago?"
Operation Details
Dramatic footage released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) showed commandos fast-roping from a Chinook helicopter onto the Smyrtos under the cover of darkness. Specially-trained officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) also boarded the vessel, which was sailing under a Cameroon flag.
The operation involved Merlin and Wildcat helicopters, an RAF P-8A Poseidon, and the Royal Navy’s HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury. The MoD insisted the interdiction was the result of weeks of military and political planning.
Sharpe acknowledged that planning may have been ongoing but noted the operation could have been launched quickly. "Thursday, you could’ve got the signal, going ‘right the next one, board it’," he said.
Political Reactions
Sir Keir Starmer hailed the seizure as "another blow" to Russia, which "reminds those fueling Putin's war in Ukraine that they cannot hide". Shadow fleet vessels, of which there are believed to be some 700, are typically ageing oil tankers with murky ownership and dubious flagging. They are used to help fund Moscow’s war on Ukraine by ferrying Russian oil and gas while evading international sanctions, carrying 75% of Russia's sanctioned oil according to the MoD.
Dan Jarvis, appointed Defence Secretary on Thursday following Healey's resignation, said: "Operations like this require skill, professionalism and courage. I pay tribute to our Armed Forces personnel and all those involved. Russia relies on its shadow fleet to fund its conflict in Ukraine, and our interdiction delivers a blow to Putin’s illegal war."
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch also supported the operation, saying: "I pay tribute to the brave Royal Marine Commandos who boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker overnight in the English Channel. Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine is funded by its oil exports in defiance of sanctions. As Leader of the Opposition, I support the Government in standing with Ukraine."
Strategic Implications
The Smyrtos was intercepted in international waters more than 12 nautical miles off England’s south coast. The MoD said the vessel, sanctioned by the UK in October last year, will be provisionally moved to an anchorage and monitored for any environmental or safety concerns. It is currently off the coast of Weymouth, Dorset, according to the MarineTraffic website.
The helicopters involved took off from South-west England at around midnight on Sunday, the Express understands. Sharpe described the operation as a "job well done" but "not the hardest thing to do", noting there were many moving parts and if it had gone wrong, it would have gone "very wrong, very quickly".
He predicted the incident could lead to more shadow fleet vessels sailing around the Republic of Ireland instead of through the Channel, adding significant time to their journeys, or being escorted by Russian warships. There could also be a rise in the number of tankers flying a Russian flag to stop further seizures, Sharpe added.
The British military previously supported US and French operations to seize sanctioned tankers. The operation to seize the Smyrtos was carried out in close coordination with the French, the MoD said.
