A Russian warship has openly escorted two 'shadow fleet' oil tankers through the English Channel, directly challenging Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's recent pledge to intercept and halt such vessels in UK waters. The frigate Admiral Grigorovich was observed accompanying the tankers along Britain's south coast yesterday, while the Royal Navy could only muster the auxiliary tanker RFA Tideforce to monitor the flotilla's passage towards the Black Sea.
Starmer's Vow Undermined by Naval Response
Last month, Sir Keir Starmer authorised British commandos to board and stop shadow fleet ships traversing UK waters, declaring an intensified effort to target these sanction-breaking vessels. However, the Telegraph reports that RFA Tideforce, equipped solely with light defensive weapons, merely followed the three-ship group past Dover without intervention. This incident has sparked criticism of the government's defence capabilities and resolve.
Tory Leader Badenoch Launches Scathing Attack
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch branded the Prime Minister 'all mouth and no trousers' on defence matters, accusing him of posturing internationally over the Middle East conflict while neglecting to rearm Britain. She highlighted ongoing concerns about the Navy's readiness, noting its recent inability to promptly deploy a ship to protect Cyprus in the Mediterranean.
Mrs Badenoch stated: 'At a time of war in Europe and the Middle East, when these conflicts impact every British family, our Government literally doesn't have a plan.' She claimed Sir Keir has delayed publishing a crucial Defence Investment Plan because he lacks clarity on funding his goal to spend 3% of GDP on defence by the next Parliament.
Funding Defence Through Benefit Cap Reinstatement
In a forthcoming speech at the London Defence Conference, Mrs Badenoch will announce that a future Conservative government would reinstate the two-child benefit cap—recently lifted by Labour—to finance increased defence spending. This move aims to address budgetary shortfalls and bolster military resources.
Shadow Fleet Operations and International Efforts
The Prime Minister approved seizures of shadow fleet vessels during his visit to Helsinki for a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit. Moscow's shadow fleet, comprising over a thousand ageing tankers, illicitly transports oil and goods from Russia under foreign flags to evade Western sanctions imposed since the Ukraine invasion.
JEF nations like Finland, Sweden, and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers in the Baltic. Sir Keir emphasised in March: 'Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets. We're going after his shadow fleet even harder, starving Putin's war machine of dirty profits funding his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.'
British forces have long tracked shadow fleet vessels and supported allied seizure operations, underscoring ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions and uphold sovereignty.
