UK prepares legal grounds to detain shadow fleet tankers
Illustrative photo: No British soldier has yet boarded a tanker belonging to the shadow fleet (Getty Images)
The British government has defined a legal framework that could allow UK forces to board and detain shadow fleet tankers, BBC reports.
So far, no British military personnel have boarded any ships, but UK officials have been reviewing potential measures over the past several weeks.
According to British ministers, the 2018 Sanctions and Money Laundering Act could be used to authorize the use of military force. It remains unclear when the UK’s first operation might take place. The government believes the new legal mechanism could apply to any vessels subject to sanctions and lacking legal registration.
Currently, the UK has already sanctioned over 500 ships, which it believes are helping Russia finance its full-scale war in Ukraine.
Seizing shadow fleet tankers
Last week, the US seized two tankers linked to Russia. Notably, the tanker Marinera, flying a Russian flag, was intercepted between Iceland and the British Isles.
The operation was carried out by the US Coast Guard, which had been tracking the vessel for several weeks.
According to US Vice President JD Vance, the captured tanker had only pretended to be Russian to evade sanctions.
Media reports indicate the Marinera tanker is owned by the Russian company Burevestmarin, whose director and sole owner is entrepreneur Illya Bugai from Russian-occupied Crimea.
Additionally, the Russian shadow fleet tanker Sophia was seized in the Caribbean Sea. In response, Russia has complained of piracy and violations of international law.
One Russian State Duma deputy even demanded strikes against US ships.
