British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given the military permission to board ships that make up Russia’s shadow fleet if they are passing through UK waters, including the English Channel.
In a statement published on March 25, the British government said Starmer “has agreed that the UK armed forces and law enforcement officers will now be able to interdict vessels that have been sanctioned by the UK and are transiting through UK waters.”
“Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets,” Starmer said.
“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.”
Starmer said Putin and his “cronies” should be in no doubt that Britain defended its sovereignty and would stand with Ukraine “for as long as it takes.”
The announcement comes as Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on March 25 that Russia was in contact with the United States about the possibility of further talks on the Ukraine conflict.
“We remain open, we are in contact with the Americans, and we are counting on holding the next round of talks as soon as circumstances permit,” Peskov said.
Starmer is attending a summit of the 10-nation Joint Expeditionary Force in Helsinki on March 26, where Britain is calling for greater coordination in seizing shadow-fleet vessels.
In a statement on March 11, announcing the JEF summit, UK Attorney General Richard Hermer said: “The Russian shadow fleet poses a significant threat to our security and prosperity, and this government will be relentless in pursuing them under the full force of international law.
“We will achieve this through collaboration with our closest security allies, underpinned by our strong commitment to the international rules-based order and exploring all legal options to keep Britain secure at home and strong abroad.”
UK territorial waters usually refer to 12 nautical miles from the British coast, but in the English Channel—which is only 21 miles at its narrowest point—UK waters extend to the median point, with France controlling the southern side.
English Channel Choke Point
That means that although the English Channel is the world’s biggest shipping lane, in the Strait of Dover, there are no international waters, and any Russian or shadow fleet vessel has to pass through either UK or French waters.
If a shadow fleet wants to avoid the risk of being boarded, it will need to make a diversion around the British Isles, which adds several days and hundreds of miles onto its journey time from the Middle East, Asia, or Africa.
Britain’s Royal Navy has been taking part in efforts to monitor and track shadow fleet ships to enable interdiction in the Mediterranean and waters around Europe in recent weeks.
Earlier this week, Libyan authorities towed a Russian tanker after it was attacked in the Mediterranean in a suspected Ukrainian sea drone attack.
The Arctic Metagaz, which is carrying liquefied natural gas, was towed to a safe zone off Zuwara on Libya’s western coast.
Britain has sanctioned 544 alleged Russian shadow fleet vessels and claims that around 75 percent of Russia’s crude oil is transported in the shadow fleet, which it said is mainly made up of “decrepit” and “aging” ships.
Neil Roberts, head of Marine and Aviation at Lloyd’s Market Association, told The Epoch Times in January 2025 that Russia may control about 1,100 ships, a mix of oil tankers, container ships, and bulk carriers.
Russia uses the shadow fleet to sell oil while evading sanctions imposed after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In January, the UK and the United States worked together to seize Russian-flagged tanker M/V Bella 1 in the North Atlantic because it was suspected of carrying sanctioned oil from Venezuela.
But earlier this month, the Trump administration, attempting to stabilize global energy markets, gave a 30-day waiver for any country buying sanctioned Russian products stranded at sea.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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