The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has strongly denied allegations that the Royal Marines' operation to seize an alleged Russian shadow fleet tanker in the English Channel was staged for cameras. The denial comes after a Conservative MP raised what he called 'serious and legitimate questions' about the authenticity of the dramatic footage released by the MoD.
Footage Under Scrutiny
On Sunday, the MoD released video showing commandos fast-roping onto the tanker Smyrtos, then methodically clearing stairways, corridors, and living quarters. However, former Army officer and Tory MP Ben Obese-Jecty challenged the footage, suggesting it may have been set up for propaganda purposes.
In a post on X, Obese-Jecty wrote: 'There are serious and legitimate questions about the authenticity of the footage released by the MoD of the interdiction of the Russian Shadow Fleet vessel this morning. How is the cameraman ahead of the Marines clearing the stairwell to be able to film them coming towards him?' He also questioned how the cameraman could have passed open doors of uncleared rooms, asking, 'How much of this has been staged for the cameras?'
While acknowledging that the sanctioned tanker was indeed seized and that the operation carried 'significant risk,' Obese-Jecty said he 'question[s] the PR and the desperate need for a win by the Government at the Royal Marines’ expense.'
MoD Response
In response, an MoD spokesperson admitted that the footage was recorded after initial forces had already 'cleared' the Smyrtos. They explained this was done to ensure safety during filming but denied any staging or repetition of activities. The spokesperson stated: 'There were multiple points at which personnel fast-roped onto the vessel, including when some were already on board, which could then be captured.' They added that the footage demonstrated the 'level of diligence and detail' required to clear a vessel.
Broader Skepticism
Obese-Jecty is not alone in questioning the timing and nature of the operation. Former Navy commander Tom Sharpe told the Express: '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.' He asked, 'Why didn’t we do this a week ago, or two weeks ago, or a month ago?'
The operation occurred at the end of a tumultuous week for Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, following the resignations of Defence Secretary John Healey and Armed Forces Minister Al Carns over a deepening military spending dispute. The MoD insists the interdiction was the result of weeks of careful military and political planning.
Operation Details
The Smyrtos, sailing under a Cameroon flag, was seized in the early hours of Sunday. Armed Marines boarded the vessel alongside specially-trained National Crime Agency (NCA) officers. The six-hour operation involved Chinook, Merlin, and Wildcat helicopters, an RAF P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, and Royal Navy ships HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury. A 38-year-old Indian national was arrested by the NCA.
Shadow fleet vessels, typically ageing oil tankers with opaque ownership and dubious flagging, are used to fund Moscow's war in Ukraine by transporting Russian oil and gas while evading international sanctions.
