The UK is considering military options to seize Russia-linked shadow fleet tankers sailing under false flags, the Guardian reported. Royal Marines have briefed British lawmakers on the Russian threat, with one attendee saying the Marines were "champing at the bit" to board a rogue vessel. The push comes as Russia's oil revenues fall and Western navies consider shifting from passive sanctions enforcement to physical interdiction.
As of 2025, Britain had sanctioned over 500 vessels of the shadow fleet.
Royal Marines briefed lawmakers on the Russian threat
The Guardian says British defense sources confirmed they had identified military options to capture a rogue ship in discussions with NATO allies. A month has passed since the US-led seizure of the Russian tanker Marinera in the North Atlantic, carried out with British help, but the UK has not yet acted on its own.
The Royal Marines held a briefing for British MPs and peers covering the Russian threat and the situation in the Arctic and the high north. One attendee told the Guardian the Marines were "champing at the bit" to receive the order to seize a ship.
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Ships are legally stateless but escalation risks hold the navy back
In January, Lloyd's List Intelligence tracked 23 shadow fleet ships using false or fraudulent flags in the English Channel or the Baltic Sea, The Guardian says. Many are linked to Russian oil exports shipped mainly by sea to China, India, and Türkiye.
A UK or European-led operation would be "potentially more fraught" than the US seizure because "Moscow would probably respond more robustly," said Richard Meade, editor-in-chief of Lloyd's List. The risks could shrink if a seizure took place away from Baltic or Arctic waters, he added.
- The UK moved in November 2025 to ban its companies from shipping Russian LNG, putting six of the 15 specialized tankers that keep Russia's Yamal terminal running under restrictions.
- A recent joint statement signed by the UK, Germany, France, and other NATO countries bordering the Baltic and North seas in late January called on all vessels to "strictly comply with applicable international law." But nothing has followed despite setting conditions for a seizure.
- On 22 January, France detained the Grinch, an oil tanker off the coast of Spain. The vessel had departed from Murmansk under the flag of Comoros. A week later, French President Emmanuel Macron told Zelenskyy the ship had to go free because of French law.
- Since late November, drones have struck seven shadow fleet tankers. Ukraine claimed responsibility for four, including the Qendil, attacked in the Mediterranean.
- Kremlin oil and gas revenues fell 24% in 2025. Energy accounted for 22% of state income in 2025, down from 41% in 2022.
