LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Wednesday that the UK military has been authorised to board and detain Russian ships believed to be part of Moscow’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers. These vessels are alleged to help Russia circumvent Western sanctions while funding its ongoing war in Ukraine.
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Starmer said the decision was prompted by Russia exploiting rising oil prices, partly driven by the US-Israel conflict in Iran, to profit from global energy markets. “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 said.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he has given the military permission to board and detain Russian ships his government alleges are part of a network of vessels that enables Moscow to export oil despite Western sanctions https://t.co/l8ltwPjIrs
— Reuters (@Reuters) March 26, 2026
Downing Street confirmed that UK military and law enforcement personnel have been preparing to board ships that refuse to surrender, are armed, or employ sophisticated surveillance to avoid capture. Once detained, criminal proceedings could be launched against the vessel owners, operators, and crew for violations of sanctions legislation.
The so-called shadow fleet allows Russia to continue exporting oil despite Western restrictions imposed after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. European efforts to maintain pressure were partly undermined this month when the Trump administration granted a 30-day waiver allowing countries to purchase sanctioned Russian products stranded at sea to stabilise markets disrupted by the Iran conflict.
Starmer’s announcement precedes his attendance at the Joint Expeditionary Force Summit in Helsinki, where Britain will call for enhanced coordination among allied nations to intercept shadow fleet vessels.
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The UK estimates that roughly three-quarters of Russia’s crude oil is transported via these ships, which often have opaque ownership and present environmental risks due to ageing, poorly regulated tankers prone to spills, leaks, and mechanical failures. Britain has already sanctioned 544 shadow fleet vessels, some of which pass through the English Channel. Officials say the increased enforcement is intended to curtail Russia’s illicit profits while safeguarding international energy security.