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Sir Keir Starmer promised Britain would starting boarding the rogue tankers, but so far nothing has happened.
09:15, Tue, Mar 31, 2026 Updated: 09:30, Tue, Mar 31, 2026
(Stock image) Keir Starmer has said Britain will board Russian tankers but no missions have happened (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir Starmer told the nation just less than a week ago that Britain would join European allies and start seizing Russian tankers carrying oil illicitly to fund the war in Ukraine. The PM said the UK would start intercepting the so-called "shadow fleet" tankers, in an attempt to "go after" the sanction-breaking ships "even harder". It was reported that Britain's elite Special Boat Service (SBS) could carry out the boardings.
But despite the words and promises Vladimir Putin still appears to be taunting Downing Street as eight of the huge vessels are currently sitting in the English Channel and there is no sign of the Royal Navy seizing them despite new powers to do so. Moscow's shadow fleet is reported to be made up of more than a thousand ageing tankers.
They illicitly ship oil and other goods out of Russia by flying the flags of other countries, with the aim of evading sanctions imposed by the West since the invasion of Ukraine began. Closing off British waters to the shadow fleet is aimed at forcing the Russian vessels into taking longer, more costly sea routes, or risk being intercepted by the UK.
But it now appears despite his bullish words last week, possible legal wrangles and diplomatic constraints are holding Britain back from acting on the PM's promises. A senior Nato official told The i Paper the UK is "not entirely ready" to launch seizures.
HMS Mersey monitoring a Russian frigate and tanker MV Anatoly Kolodkin in the Channel (Image: PA)
They told the paper nervous mandarins in Whitehall were worried about breaking international law. It's all very embarrassing for Sir Keir who last week said: "(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets.
"That's why we're going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin's war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.
"He and his cronies should be in no doubt, we will always defend our sovereignty and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes."
The PM was speaking during a trip to Finland for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by the UK, aims to defend against Russian incursions.
It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers travelling through the Baltic, but Britain has still not carried out a seizure.
The Boracay tanker from Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" off the coast of France (Image: Getty)
Ben Obese-Jecty, a Conservative MP and former Army officer, told the i Paper the presence of the Russian tankers still in the Channel showed the UK had an "unwillingness to take action".
"Last week the Prime Minister finally reached the conclusion that our allies had long since arrived at, and announced permission for our forces to board sanctioned Russian shadow fleet vessels," he said.
"So why are they now transiting through the channel with impunity?"
Even with legal authority, boarding a vessel at sea is a complex and potentially dangerous operation - for which Special Boat Service and Royal Marines units are trained.
The MoD said: "The UK keeps maritime activity in the Channel under constant review. Enforcement action is considered on a case-by case-basis, in accordance with international law and domestic legislation."
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