Britain defends seizing Putin’s shadow fleet tankers fuelling Ukraine war after tyrant threatened to ‘respond in kind’

BRITAIN has defended its seizure of a Russian shadow fleet tanker after Vladimir Putin ominously threatened to “respond in kind”. The beleaguered tyrant lashed out after one of his shadowy network of sanctioned vessels was captured in the English Channel. Vladimir Putin has threatened to retaliate after the seizure of a Russian shadow tanker Credit: East2West Elite commandos captured one of the tyrant’s shadow fleet in the English Channel in June Credit: LPhot Finn Hutchins; © UK Ministry of Defence CROWN COPYRIGHT 2026 Russia has been operating a shadow fleet of oil tankers to evade international sanctions, fuel its war-ravaged economy and fund its illegal war in Ukraine. Elite Royal Marines Commandos boarded one such ship – The Smyrtos – and captured its 25 crew in a first-of- its-kind operation in June. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Dramatic footage of its seizure released by the MoD showed how marines fast-roped from helicopters during the six-hour operation. The Smyrtos has since been anchored off Weymouth and its captain, Ajay Pant, has been charged with breaching Russian sanctions. He has also been accused of directly or indirectly supplying or delivering prohibited Russian oil. Putin blasted the seizure while overseeing Russian navy drills in the Pacific, branding the operation as “nothing other than piracy and banditry”. The dictator menacingly warned that if Western countries seize more tankers, then Russian “will have to respond in kind”. He added: “And not necessarily in the waters where raids on our ships and vessels are planned, but wherever we deem it necessary and appropriate, anywhere.” Most read in The Sun Putin’s shadow fleet ferry sanctioned oil which fuels its illegal war in Russia Credit: PA A Brit commando clearing the shadow ship Smyrtos Credit: MOD His fleet commander Admiral Viktor Liina said he had identified 26 British commercial vessels since April in Russia’s exclusive economic zone. Liina declared: “We have the capabilities to inspect and detain vessels from unfriendly states and their shadow fleet. “We are ready to begin tackling these tasks.” In response to Putin’s comments, the UK defended its seizure of the Smyrtos as being “in full accordance with international law“. A government spokesperson said: “The UK is disrupting and deterring shadow fleet vessels and their harmful maritime activity which is fuelling Russia’s war with Ukraine.” They added that, unlike Russia’s shadow fleet, Britain’s “armed forces and commercial vessels operate firmly in line with international maritime law”. The UK’s Ministry of Defence has said that Russia operates more than 700 shadow tankers smuggling 75 per cent of its sanctioned oil. To evade detection, they turn off tracking systems, falsify location data, and conduct ship-to-ship transfers at sea to disguise the oil’s origin. Russia has continued to pummel Ukraine with vicious missile attacks Credit: AFP A woman walks next to heavily damaged buildings in Kyiv Credit: AFP These vessels – often older and poorly maintained – are accused of using complex ownership structures and flying under other nations’ flags to avoid detection. The oil ferried is a “critical lifeline for the Kremlin” in “sustaining Russia’s illegal war” in Ukraine, the MoD said. The Smyrtos continues to be detained and monitored by British authorities in Weymouth, while 22 of its 25 crew have been repatriated. A Sun investigation revealed at least 28 ‘banned’ boats have been caught on radar transiting the channel since June 19. It has sparked calls for more action from new PM Andy Burnham in the Channel to hit Russia‘s global oil trade empire where it hurts. But Putin said he would be “forced to respond in kind,” if Russian ships continued to be targeted. Retaliation would occur wherever the dictator “considers necessary and appropriate”, including “within the Pacific Fleet’s area of responsibility”. Putin warned: “I would ask you to pay attention to this. “The Defence Ministry has been given such an instruction, and I know that it has also been passed on to the Pacific Fleet command.” Putin’s security council number two Dmitry Medvedev rammed home the Russian threat. “The overwhelming majority of Western European vessels also sail under flags of convenience,” he said. “And what does that mean? “It means that, following a symmetrical approach, which is only fair, Russia has the right to attack any merchant vessel belonging to hostile countries, whether in our waters or in neutral waters, if there are sufficient grounds to suspect that it is carrying cargo in the interests of the enemy. “In other words, any cargo at all.” Comment now