Keir Starmer says Britain is pursuing Putin’s shadow fleet even more vigorously (Image: Getty)
British commandos have been given permission to board and stay RussiaThe Prime Minister has said that Shadow Fleet ships pass through British waters. sir keir starmer Said Britain would join northern European allies in blocking tankers, so that ships breaking the sanctions could be “pursued even more vigorously.”
The UK has received the Prime Minister’s approval to begin seizing shadow fleet vessels during his visit to Helsinki for a summit with national leaders of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The JEF is a military alliance of 10 northern European countries, led by Britain, aimed at defending against Russian incursions.
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It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
It is said that Moscow’s shadow fleet is made up of more than a thousand old tankers. They illegally ship oil and other goods from Russia under the flags of other countries, in order to avoid sanctions imposed by the West since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia have recently stopped suspected shadow tankers traveling through the Baltic.
Closing British waters to the shadow fleet is intended to force Russian ships to take longer, more expensive sea routes, or risk being intercepted by the UK.
Sir Keir said: “We live in an increasingly unstable and dangerous world, facing threats from different fronts around the world every day.
Russia’s shadow fleet is made up of more than 1,000 old tankers (Image: Getty)
“As Prime Minister, my first duty is to keep this country safe and protect British interests here and abroad. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is wringing his hands on war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will help him line his pockets.
“That’s why we are pursuing his shadow fleet even more vigorously, not only to keep Britain safe but to starve Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits funding his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.
“He and his comrades should have no doubt we will always defend our sovereignty and stand with Ukraine as long as necessary.”
The British military has already been involved in tracking shadow fleet vessels for several years and has supported operations by other countries to seize vessels.
Britain helped in January Seizure of oil tanker Marinera By America. Previously known as Bela-1, the Russian-flagged ship was captured in the Atlantic by US forces with the assistance of RAF aircraft and the British supply ship, RFA Tideforce.
Later that month the Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Dagger Helped the French seize another sanctioned shipThe Grinch shadows a ship through the Strait of Gibraltar, in the western Mediterranean.
The French detained the British-backed Daina oil tanker in the Mediterranean last week.
Meanwhile Libyan authorities have seized a suspected shadow fleet oil tanker flowing into the Mediterranean Sea It is believed that he was killed in a drone attack.
The tanker carrying liquefied natural gas was towed to prevent it from spilling into the Mediterranean Sea.
At the JEF summit, the prime minister and other leaders are expected to discuss shared security in the so-called High North and the war in Ukraine.
