Starmer faces backlash as British Navy does not stop Russian tankers in English Channel
Russian oil tanker (Photo: Getty Images)
The UK Royal Navy has not seized a single Russian tanker from the shadow fleet due to fears that such actions could violate international law, reports The Telegraph.
Promises vs. Reality
Two weeks ago, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised to pursue the Russian shadow fleet. However, as the publication has learned, not a single vessel has been stopped.
The Attorney General, Lord Hermer, provided a legal opinion stating that special forces and officers of the National Crime Agency (NCA) can board vessels in British territorial waters.
However, such operations have not been carried out due to concerns about violating international maritime law, which imposes stringent requirements for inspecting foreign vessels.
For each potential operation, officials must provide a legal justification and prove that the vessel has violated British sanctions.
Russian vessels and naval escorts
Earlier, the Telegraph reported that Putin had sent a warship to escort sanctioned tankers through the English Channel.
On Thursday, April 9, three more Russian vessels passed through the strait, with one of them likely carrying cargo for the Russian armed forces.
The Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich (armed with cruise missiles and anti-aircraft missiles) escorted two tankers. British ships only observed.
Reaction of politicians and the military
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson called the situation deplorable: "I think it’s pathetic. I don’t know why we don’t board these sanction-busting ships. They are fuelling Putin’s war machine and funding his slaughter of innocent Ukrainians and we have a golden opportunity to stop it," he said.
Defense Secretary John Healey admitted that there is more we can do, but added that Russia's decision to escort tankers with a warship shows that Britain is successfully diverting Putin's resources away from Ukraine.
"We are ready. We have the military options, and we’re ready to take action, not just in support of but actually with allies, to interdict shadow fleet vessels," Healey stated.
According to RBC-Ukraine, in December 2025, the Security Service of Ukraine used naval drones for the first time in history to attack a Russian Varshavyanka submarine in the port of Novorossiysk.
The submarine sustained critical damage and was put out of action. It carried four launchers of Kalibr missiles.
Additionally, recently Ukrainian military attacked a Russian Be-12 Chaika amphibious aircraft based near Kacha in occupied Crimea.
