UK forces join military operation to seize Russian 'shadow fleet' tanker

UK forces have joined a military operation with the French navy in the Mediterranean to seize an oil tanker, alleged to be part of Russia's shadow fleet.

British patrol boat HMS Cutlass monitored the Deyna, a Mozambique-flagged vessel, and supported the French operation on Friday by providing tracking information and imagery near the Strait of Gibraltar.

Defence Secretary John Healey said: "Disrupting, deterring and degrading Russia's shadow fleet - and starving Putin's war machine of funds - is a priority for this government."

Russia's so-called shadow fleet of vessels is used to carry oil and goods around the world to avoid sanctions on Moscow following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Deyna is sanctioned by the UK and the European Union for its role in shipping Russian oil.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a post on X: "These vessels, which evade international sanctions and violate the law of the sea, are profiteers of war.

"They line their pockets while helping finance Russia's war effort. We will not allow it."

A Western military source told Reuters that the tanker was carrying Russian crude oil, while the news agency also quoted local officials who said it was suspected of flying a false flag.

The vessel, which had sailed from the Russian ​port of Murmansk, was escorted to an anchorage point ​for further inspection, the French military said.

The maritime tracking website, vesselfinder.com, said it was heading towards Port Said, Egypt, and was intercepted off the coast of Algeria.

The shipping industry has accused shadow fleet vessels of being poorly maintained, ageing tankers with dubious insurance or safety certification cover.

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Friday's military operation is the latest sign of the UK's co-operation with allies.

In January, British forces helped the US seize the oil tanker Marinera in the Atlantic, and France intercept another sanctioned ship, the Grinch, in the western Mediterranean.

While European sanctions remain in place, the US has temporarily eased sanctions on ⁠the sale of Russian oil as the Middle East war ⁠disrupts oil supplies and boosts prices.

Moscow has previously called the seizure of its tankers, or ‌vessels carrying its cargoes, an act of piracy.