UK forces intercept Russian shadow fleet vessel

Royal Marines have seized a Russian shadow fleet tanker in the English Channel for the first time. In a six-hour operation in the early hours of Sunday morning, Royal Marine Commandos and law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA) boarded the Smyrtos, a Russian tanker operating off the south coast of England. The vessel, which was sailing under the flag of Cameroon, will now be moved to an anchorage off the south coast and will be monitored for any environmental or safety concerns, officials said. Read More: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/14/british-armed-forces-russian-oil-tanker-english-channel/ ► Sign up to the Telegraph's free new daily newsletter, From the Editor, bringing you the latest news, features and analysis from the Telegraph newsroom: www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/secure/newsletter/from-the-editor/?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_youtube_telegraphmain ► Get the latest headlines: www.telegraph.co.uk?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_youtube_telegraphmain ► Stay ahead with a Telegraph digital subscription: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/customer/subscription/store?WT.mc_id=tmgoff_youtube_telegraphmain https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ and https://www.youtube.com/telegraph are websites of The Telegraph, the UK's best-selling quality daily newspaper providing news and analysis on UK and world events, business, sport, lifestyle and culture.