British armed forces conducted a first-of-its-kind operation on Sunday to board and detain the Smyrtos, a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia’s “shadow fleet.” The vessel was intercepted in the English Channel, anchored off the Dorset coast, where it is being held and monitored for investigation. Royal Marine Commandos fast-roped from a helicopter onto the ship in an operation conducted in close coordination with French authorities. Following the seizure, National Crime Agency (NCA) officers arrested an Indian national on suspicion of sanctions offences. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) stated that 24 Georgian and Indian crew members remained aboard the vessel. The MoD confirmed the operation took place in international waters, more than 12 nautical miles from the UK coast, and was conducted in full compliance with domestic and international law. According to the tracking website MarineTraffic, the Smyrtos sails under a Cameroon flag and departed from Russia’s Ust-Luga port on June 5. The vessel was sanctioned in July 2025 and has changed its name from Myrtos to Smyrtos and its flag twice since then. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated the operation delivers a blow to Russia and reminds those fueling the war in Ukraine that they cannot hide. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked the UK for the “important step” against Russia’s oil fleet. Russia has previously described similar interceptions as illegal and “bordering on international piracy.” The UK has sanctioned more than 500 ships in the “shadow fleet,” which are used to evade sanctions related to the invasion of Ukraine. British sanctions prohibit these vessels from entering UK ports and ban British firms from providing financial, insurance, or brokerage services to ships supplying Russian oil.