Starmer issues furious warning to Putin as UK to start seizing Russia’s shadow fleet ships | Politics | News
Keir Starmer says Britain will go after Putin’s shadow fleet even harder (Image: Getty)
British commandos were given permission to board and stop the ship RussiaThe Prime Minister said the shadow fleet ships were passing through British waters. Sir Keir Starmer He said Britain would join its Northern European allies in stopping the tankers in a bid to go “even harder after” ships that violate sanctions.
The Prime Minister’s approval for the UK to begin seizing stay-behind fleet ships came as he traveled to Helsinki for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by Britain, aims to defend against Russian attacks.
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It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Moscow’s shadow fleet reportedly consists of more than a thousand obsolete tankers. They have been illegally shipping oil and other goods from Russia by flying the flags of other countries, aiming to evade sanctions imposed by the West since the start of the large-scale invasion of Ukraine.
JEF countries Finland, Sweden and Estonia recently intercepted suspicious shadow tankers traveling in the Baltic.
Closing British waters to the shadow fleet aims to force Russian ships to use longer, more costly sea routes or risk being intercepted by Britain.
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 consists of more than 1,000 aging tankers (Image: Getty)
“My first duty as Prime Minister is to keep this country safe and protect British interests here and abroad. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is taking up the war in the Middle East because he thinks high oil prices will allow him to line his pockets.”
“That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not only keeping Britain safe but depriving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.
He and his friends should have no doubt; “We will always defend our sovereignty and stand by Ukraine no matter how long it takes.”
British forces have been involved in tracking shadow fleet ships for several years and have supported other countries’ seizure operations.
Britain helped in January Oil tanker Marinera was seized by the USA. The Russian-flagged ship, previously known as Bella-1, was captured in the Atlantic by US forces with the help of RAF aircraft and the British supply ship RFA Tideforce.
Later that month the Royal Navy patrol boat HMS Dagger Helped the French capture another sanctioned shipThe Grinch shadows the ship across the Strait of Gibraltar in the western Mediterranean.
Last week, France stopped the Deyna oil tanker, supported by Britain, in the Mediterranean.
Meanwhile, Libyan authorities towed a suspicious shadow fleet oil tanker. I’m drifting in the Mediterranean It is believed that he was shot 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 collective security in the so-called High North and the war in Ukraine.
