Britain is preparing to take decisive action with its allies against a network of ageing tankers used by Russia to bankroll its war against Ukraine, the Foreign Secretary has declared.
Cooper's Baltic Warning on 'Dark Fleet'
Speaking from Helsinki on a visit to the Arctic region, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper vowed to help 'tighten the chokehold' on the Kremlin's finances by targeting its so-called shadow fleet. This 'dark fleet' comprises old, often poorly maintained oil tankers that sail under false flags to circumvent Western sanctions and funnel vital cash to Moscow.
"We've seen these Russian shadow fleet vessels going through our waters," Cooper told the Mirror. "They are undermining the sanctions on Russia. They're fuelling the war in Ukraine, and they're also causing all kinds of environmental damage and national security damage, including to undersea cables."
From Legal Scrutiny to Military Force
The UK is already examining the legal framework for more direct intervention. While no British personnel have yet boarded any suspect vessels, officials are actively considering the legal basis for using military force. This follows British assistance to the US in a dramatic raid last month to seize a tanker linked to Russia that was accused of breaching oil sanctions in Venezuela.
During her visit on 14 January 2026, Cooper boarded the Finnish Border Guard patrol vessel Turva, which was involved in a key operation in December. That raid targeted the Fitburg, a 132-metre cargo ship sailing from St Petersburg to Haifa under the flag of St Vincent and Grenadines, suspected of sabotaging undersea cables in the Gulf of Finland.
"We stand ready to do enforcement operations, but we want to work with international partners on how we put much greater pressure on the shadow fleet," Cooper stated, after witnessing a demonstration where armed guards rappelled from a helicopter to storm a ship.
Rising Threats and Arctic Tensions
The Foreign Secretary's warning comes amid an alarming increase in Russian maritime activity near the UK. In November, Defence Secretary John Healey issued a warning after the Russian spy ship Yantar shone lasers at RAF pilots monitoring it outside UK waters.
"We have made clear we are determined to tighten the chokehold on the Russian shadow fleet and on Putin's operations," Cooper asserted. "We will not stand for anything that affects our national security that is taking place in UK waters."
Alongside her calls for a ban on shipping Russian oil, Cooper's trip also focused on broader security in the 'High North'. Her discussions with Finland's President Alexander Stubb were set against the backdrop of heightened concerns following former US President Donald Trump's repeated threats to annex Greenland, a move he claimed was necessary to pre-empt Russian or Chinese influence.
