UK seizes suspected Russian shadow fleet tanker

Article excerpt

British naval commandos rappelled from helicopters onto a sanctioned Russian tanker in a dramatic Sunday seizure, marking an escalation in efforts to disrupt Moscow's shadow fleet operations. The UK and Ukraine celebrated the interception as a financial blow to Russia's war machine, preventing the sale of oil that would have funded military operations. Shadow fleet vessels, older ships often operating under murky ownership and minimal oversight, have become a crucial workaround for Russia to evade Western sanctions and continue exporting crude. The capture underscores growing Western pressure on the logistics networks keeping Russian energy exports flowing despite years of economic penalties.