Britain's Special Boat Service has been cleared to raid Russian shadow fleet tankers after Sir Keir Starmer overturned a legal ban - as Putin's war chest swells
04:34, Thu, Mar 26, 2026 Updated: 04:35, Thu, Mar 26, 2026
Royal Marines take part in an exercise on the Thames, London (stock image) (Image: Getty)
Commandos from Britain's elite Special Boat Service are to be unleashed on Russian shadow fleet tankers after Sir Keir Starmer swept aside the legal obstacles that had been tying military chiefs' hands for months.
The decision marks a significant hardening of Britain's posture — and comes at a moment when the pressure to act has never been greater. Russia's war machine has been quietly fattened by the oil price spike triggered by the Iran crisis, turning the shadow fleet into an even more valuable financial lifeline for the Kremlin.
"We are living in an increasingly volatile and dangerous world, facing threats from different fronts every day," Starmer said.
"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."
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What changes — and what was blocked before
Until now, government lawyers had effectively shut the door on any special forces action against Kremlin vessels in British waters.
The Royal Navy's role had been limited to keeping watch as Russian ships moved through the English Channel — a passive posture that left allies visibly frustrated.
Thursday's Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Helsinki will be the stage on which Starmer makes the announcement official.
The announcement comes with Britain already behind the curve.
Fellow JEF nations Finland, Sweden and Estonia moved ahead with their own interdiction operations long ago, while Whitehall's lawyers argued over the legalities.
The embarrassment was sharpest earlier this year when American special forces took the lead in boarding the Bella 1 tanker in the North Sea — a mission in which British personnel were reduced to a walk-on part.
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