Russian shadow fleet ships could be seized by British forces
Russian shadow fleet ships could be seized by British special forces after ministers set out a new legal basis for raids.
Troops may target illegal oil tankers in a bid to put more economic pressure on Vladimir Putin, days after Britain backed a US operation to seize a Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic.
A defense source confirmed Times It was stated that options to seize more ships were being evaluated. No time frame has been given for potential missions but it is likely that the Special Boat Service (SBS) will lead the raids.
It comes as concerns grow over the state of Britain’s hollowed-out armed forces in the face of growing threats from Russia and China, despite the prime minister’s repeated promises to make Britain “war ready”.
Authorities have reportedly identified legal grounds under the Sanctions and Money Laundering Act (2018) that would allow British soldiers to raid and detain oil tankers.
Maritime law states that ships must be registered and fly the flag of a particular country or territory. If a ship fails to do this, it may be deemed stateless, which must be established before the UK can seize a ship.
The Ministry of Defense said: “It has been the long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on the activities of special forces.”
Last week, British armed forces provided support for his capture. Marinerawas previously known as a Venezuela-bound ship. Bella-1As it heads north and east in the waters between Iceland and Scotland.
He said the UK supported the operation at the request of US President Donald Trump as part of “global efforts to address sanctions busting and shadow shipping activities”.
Defense Secretary John Healey told MPs the ship had a “bad track record” and was “part of a Russia-Iran sanctions avoidance axis fueling terrorism, conflict and misery from the Middle East to Ukraine”.
He said the seizure was legally justified and that the tanker was “stateless” and was mistakenly flying the Guyanese flag when it was first stopped, then changed its name and tried to adopt the Russian flag.
The development comes as the UK’s top military chief admitted Britain does not currently have a plan for how to mobilize doctors, nurses and hospitals in the event of all-out war.
Giving evidence before the House of Commons defense select committee on Monday, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Knighton said the UK did not currently have “a complete plan for how we would mobilize the NHS at Article Five level in the event of armed conflict”.
Sir Richard also admitted there was not enough money to continue all planned military programs as well as everything set out in the strategic defense review (SDR), but was visibly annoyed when MPs suggested the military might have to make cuts.
