Britain will join its north European allies in intercepting the tankers.

22:40, Wed, Mar 25, 2026 Updated: 22:40, Wed, Mar 25, 2026

Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends a Q&A as he visits a railway depot in Cardiff, South Wales

Keir Starmer says the UK is going after Putin's shadow fleet even harder (Image: Getty)

British commandos have been given the go-ahead to board and halt Russia's shadow fleet vessels as they pass through UK waters, the Prime Minister has said. Sir Keir Starmer said Britain will join north European allies in intercepting the tankers, in an attempt to "go after" the sanction-breaking ships "even harder".

The PM's approval for the UK to start seizing shadow fleet vessels comes as he travels to Helsinki 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.

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, aiming to evade sanctions imposed by the West since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently intercepted suspected shadow tankers travelling through the Baltic.

Closing off British waters to the shadow fleet aims to force the Russian vessels into taking longer, more costly sea routes, or risk being intercepted by the UK.

Sir Keir said: "We are living in an increasingly volatile and dangerous world, facing threats from different fronts across the world every day.

Oil tanker Ethera, part of the "shadow fleet" Russia uses to circumvent Western sanctions over the war in Ukraine, is docked at the naval base in Zeeb

Russia's shadow fleet is made up of over 1,000 ageing tankers (Image: Getty)

"As Prime Minister, my first duty is to keep this country safe and protect British interests here and abroad. (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."

British forces have already been involved in tracking shadow fleet vessels for several years and have supported operations by other countries to seize the ships.

In January, the UK helped with the seizure of the oil tanker Marinera by the US. Previously known as the Bella-1, the Russian-flagged vessel was captured by US forces aided by RAF aircraft and the British supply ship, RFA Tideforce, in the Atlantic.

Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Dagger later that month helped the French seize another sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the western Mediterranean, shadowing the vessel through the Strait of Gibraltar.

The French last week intercepted the Deyna oil tanker in the Mediterranean, supported by the UK.

Libyan authorities have meanwhile towed a suspected shadow fleet oil tanker found drifting in the Mediterranean which was believed to have been hit in a drone strike.

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The tanker, carrying liquefied natural gas, was towed to avoid a spill in the Mediterranean.

At the JEF summit, the Prime Minister and other leaders are expected to discuss shared security in the so-called High North and the war in Ukraine.