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11 hours ago
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UK armed forces have been authorised to board Russian oil tankers in British waters, Downing Street has said, in an escalation against Moscow’s sanction-evading shadow fleet.
The Royal Navy has previously joined allies in action against the vessels. Last week it helped track a sanctioned Russian oil tanker in the Mediterranean which was then boarded by the French navy.
But the prime minister’s move will mean that British armed forces or law enforcement will be able to go further to tackle the fleet of often ageing tankers using false national flags or opaque ownership structures to export Russian crude oil while avoiding western sanctions.
More than 600 vessels have been targeted by sanctions from the EU, UK and US. The new rules would apply only to those sanctioned by the UK.
Starmer will on Thursday head to Helsinki for the Joint Expeditionary Force Summit, a UK-led alliance focused on maritime security involving 10 Nato members, which will discuss ways to combat Russia.
Other JEF members, such as Finland, Sweden and Estonia, have carried outoperations against suspected shadow fleet vessels in the Baltic.
While the hope is to hamper Russia’s economy and thus its war efforts in Ukraine, Russia warned that direct action against shadow fleet vessels could cause direct conflict.
A senior Russian official said Moscow could deploy its navy to protect Russian-linked vessels from potential European seizures. Nikolai Patrushev, a former FSB director who heads Russia’s maritime board, last month said the country’s navy should be ready to counter what he described as “western piracy”.
John Healey, the defence secretary, suggested the use of “military options” against sanctioned vessels in January, saying any oil seized could be sold, with the proceeds sent to Ukraine.
That month, 23 shadow fleet ships using false or fraudulent flags were spotted in the Channel or Baltic Sea, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Many are linked to the export of Russian oil, largely by water to China, India and Turkey.
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 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.”
In January, the UK supported US forces as they pursued and then seized a tanker called Bella 1, which had been renamed Marinera and flagged to Russia, in the Atlantic.
After the seizure, UK ministers ordered plans to be drawn up with options for British forces to carry out similar operations.
Before any ship is boarded, its situation will be examined by law enforcement, military and energy market specialists, with a recommendation made to ministers. Seizure could be followed by criminal proceedings against the owners, operators and crew, for breaches of UK sanctions legislation.
