British Prime Minister Keir Starmer meets police officers to discuss operational planning, in London on May 15, 2026. Peter Nicholls/Pool Photo via AP
UK forces intercepted a Russian shadow fleet vessel for the first time, after British commandos boarded a sanctioned oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday.
The vessel Smyrtos, sailing under a Cameroonian flag, was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and National Crime Agency (NCA) officials in the early hours of June 14, with support from Chinook heavy-lift helicopters, Merlin Mk4 commando helicopters, and Wildcat naval aircraft.
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