DEK: UK armed forces board and take control of Russian vessel in six-hour operation CATEGORY: Geopolítica & Guerra KEY_FACTS: - British armed forces intercepted and boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the Channel. - The operation, led by the UK, involved Royal Marine commandos and officers from the National Crime Agency.
British armed forces successfully intercepted and boarded a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker, the Smyrtos, in the English Channel, according to Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The operation, which lasted six hours, resulted in the UK taking control of the vessel. This marks the first operation of its kind led by the UK. The intervention was hailed by Starmer as delivering “yet another blow” to Russia and its President, Vladimir Putin. The details of the Smyrtos and the specifics of its cargo were not provided in the available information.