UK Seizes Russian “Shadow Fleet” Tanker Smyrtos, Crew Remains Aboard

On 14 June 2024, Royal Marines Commandos seized the oil tanker Smyrtos off Dorset. The vessel, sailing from Russia’s Ust-Luga to Port Said, Egypt, carried 101,400 tonnes of Urals crude. Captain Ajay Pant was arrested; the 24-member crew (Indian and Georgian) was released after questioning and remains aboard the ship, now anchored off Weymouth under Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander.

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Shadow-fleet tankers are used to evade sanctions on Russian oil. The UK, US and EU have recently seized several such vessels, including the French-detained Boracay in September and a Russian-flagged tanker in Scotland earlier this year. These actions form part of a broader sanctions-enforcement campaign.

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Key actors include Lieutenant Colonel Tom Quinn, who led the boarding; Seafarers’ Charity chief Deborah Layde; the Forward Seamen’s Union of India; and Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander. The Smyrtos is owned by Hong Kong-based Zhao Yao Shipping, flies a Russian flag, and is linked to the sanctioned tanker Mezen.

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Lieutenant Colonel Tom Quinn said the boarding was “professional and safe,” praising crew cooperation. The Department for Transport confirmed daily provision of food and water but declined to comment on the oil’s fate, citing the National Crime Agency’s ongoing investigation. Heidi Alexander affirmed the owner’s responsibility for the vessel’s upkeep.

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The Forward Seamen’s Union of India warned that seafarers are being “criminalised for incidents … beyond their control,” causing hardship. Deborah Layde stressed that seafarers deserve dignity and should not face prolonged uncertainty. An industry source noted many sailors “have no idea they are going to end up on a shadow fleet tanker.”

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Media suggest the UK may auction the oil to aid Ukraine, but the Department for Transport has not confirmed; a Kremlin spokesman threatened retaliation.

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• “The dialogue we had with them was professional and safe, and indeed the crew enabled us to conduct the actions we needed to complete to safely take control of that vessel and move it to an anchorage,” — Lieutenant Colonel Tom Quinn

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• “No crew should be left in prolonged uncertainty over their wellbeing, pay or ability to return home simply because they are caught up in wider geopolitical events.” — Deborah Layde, Chief executive, Seafarers’ Charity

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• “They deserve dignity, due process, and protection — not automatic suspicion and prolonged detention in foreign jurisdictions.” — FSUI spokesperson

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• “Often seafarers have no idea they are going to end up on a shadow fleet tanker,” — Unnamed shipping-industry source

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The National Crime Agency investigation continues; the government’s decision on the oil’s disposition and any Kremlin response remain pending.

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