CRACK Royal Marine commandos are braced to storm Russian tankers after dithering Keir Starmer finally gave them permission.
The PM warned Putin that “shadow fleet” vessels will be boarded in British waters.
Elite amphibious troops will fast rope out of helicopters or use grappling hooks to clamber aboard in the event of a hostile boarding.
So-called shadow fleet tankers help Moscow smuggle sanctioned oil.
The Prime Minister said the decision would “starve Putin’s war machine” of cash it needs to fight in Ukraine.
It also ramps up the risk of a direct military showdown as Moscow routinely sends warships to escort its tankers through the Channel.
Sweden has also revealed that Russia deploys armed troops on tankers carrying sanctioned oil.
Starmer said: “Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets.
He added: “That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.”
The PM’s decision comes over a year after Finland seized the Eagle S tanker, suspected of severing undersea cables in the Baltic in Dec 2024.
Belgium, Estonia, France and Sweden have launched several naval raids since then, most recently last week when France seized the MV Denya.
Ex-Royal Navy Commander Tom Sharpe said: “This is good news but why did it take so long?”
Putin’s notorious ‘Shadow Fleet’
RUSSIA’S “shadow fleet” refers to a covert network of ageing oil tankers used to bypass international sanctions imposed following its invasion of Ukraine.
These sanctions, including price caps on Russian oil, aim to curtail Moscow’s revenues.
However, the shadow fleet allows Russia to continue exporting oil globally while avoiding Western controls.
This fleet is composed of older, poorly maintained vessels often operating without reputable Western insurance, relying instead on obscure providers or none at all.
To evade detection, the fleet employs tactics such as turning off tracking systems, falsifying location data, and conducting ship-to-ship transfers at sea to disguise the oil’s origin.
Its opaque operations and lack of oversight create vulnerabilities for maritime safety and international law enforcement.
He added: “This will force Putin to escort more ships or route them the long way around, both of which impose a cost on him which is a good thing.”
The Navy’s smallest patrol ships, HMS Cutlass and HMS Dagger, tracked two target tankers through the Strait of Gibraltar before French commandos raided them this year.
The MoD said: “The Prime Minister has agreed that the UK Armed Forces and law enforcement officers will now be able to interdict vessels that have been sanctioned by the UK and are transiting through UK waters.”
It added: “The UK will put a further stranglehold on the shadow fleet, closing off UK waters, including the Channel, for sanctioned vessels.
“This will in turn force operators to either divert to longer, financially painful routes, or risk being detained by British forces.”
The last time British forces seized a tanker in UK waters, elite Special Boat Service commandos took seven minutes to take control of the 42,000 ton Nave Andromeda.
They were answering a mayday call after stowaways seized control of the ship in the Solent in November 2020.
The PM gave commandos his approval to storm Russian ships as he travelled to Helsinki, Finland, for a summit with national leaders from the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).
The JEF, a military coalition of 10 northern European countries led by the UK, aims to defend against Russian incursions.
It also includes Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden.
Sir Keir said: “We are living in an increasingly volatile and dangerous world, facing threats from different fronts across the world every day.
“As Prime Minister, my first duty is to keep this country safe and protect British interests here and abroad.
“(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is rubbing his hands at the war in the Middle East because he thinks higher oil prices will let him line his pockets.
“That’s why we’re going after his shadow fleet even harder, not just keeping Britain safe but starving Putin’s war machine of the dirty profits that fund his barbaric campaign in Ukraine.
“He and his cronies should be in no doubt, we will always defend our sovereignty and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
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.
