UK Gives Military Green Light to Board Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers

A French navy boat monitors the alleged shadow fleet oil tanker Grinch, in the Gulf of Fos-sur-Mer, near Martigues, France, on Jan. 25, 2026. Manon Cruz/ReutersBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer has given the military permission to board ships that make up Russia’s shadow fleet if they are passing through UK waters, including the English Channel.In a statement published on March 25, the British government said Starmer “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.”