VIDEO/ British Marines Raid Russian Tanker in English Channel, Authorities Suspect It Secretly Funded Putin's War

In a spectacular military operation that lasted six hours in the early hours of the morning, British marines carried out a raid on the Russian tanker "Smyrtos" in the English Channel, which is suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet".

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, the operation was the first of its kind led by British forces and was supported by a combination of naval, air and National Crime Agency (NCA) officers.

British authorities believe the tanker was involved in activities that helped Russia circumvent international sanctions and covertly finance the war in Ukraine.

Despite Putin's best efforts to evade sanctions, we will not let him get away with it. pic.twitter.com/IIW3Cv2ENQ

 

 

— Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) June 14, 2026

 

In a statement published on the X platform, the British Ministry of Defense said:

“This morning, British forces boarded a Russian tanker in the English Channel, which is believed to have covertly helped to fund Putin’s war in Ukraine. This is the first operation of its kind led by British forces, sending a clear message: there is nowhere to hide.”

The operation is considered a significant escalation of London's efforts to hit maritime networks suspected of being used by Moscow to evade economic restrictions imposed by the West after its invasion of Ukraine.

This morning, UK forces boarded a Russian tanker in the English Channel that was secretly helping to bankroll Putin's war in Ukraine.

The first operation of its kind led by British forces, and a clear message: there is nowhere to hide. pic.twitter.com/RQdw7bmuQw

— Ministry of Defense ???????? (@DefenceHQ) June 14, 2026

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