Weymouth | Posted on June 16th, 2026 | return to news

Captured Russian ship moved to Weymouth

A ship reported to be part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ has been detained off the coast of Weymouth.

It reads like a scene from an espionage novel.

In the early hours of the morning on the 14 June, British armed forces and National Crime Agency (NCA) personnel boarded a ship passing through UK waters, secured the vessel and moved it to an anchorage off the coast of Weymouth.

The UK Transport Secretary then issued a detention direction, meaning the vessel is now prevented from leaving the UK.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Today, I took the decision to detain a sanctioned shadow fleet vessel travelling through the Channel, carrying the Russian oil which helps fund Putin’s barbaric war in Ukraine.

“The UK government stands ready to take all necessary action to protect UK waters and strengthen our national security and will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our international allies to suffocate Putin’s war machine.”

The stateless ship, named the ‘SMYRTOS’, is reported to be part of the Russian ‘shadow fleet’, which moves goods including oil around the world in defiance of international sanctions. The shadow fleet is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s financial lifeline; sanctioned oil is used to fund the missiles and drones being used in the conflict in Ukraine.

The enforcement operation was undertaken as part of the broader strategy to disrupt Russia’s shadow fleet and was carried out in strict adherence to national and international law.

The SMYRTOS will now be detained off the coast of Weymouth and will be monitored for any safety and environmental concerns.

According to the Department for Transport, Russia has already lost $4.5bn in oil revenues thanks to UK sanctions and this latest detention will add significant costs to Russia’s oil trade and war economy.

The department thanked local partners including Dorset Police, Fire and Ambulance services and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for their work so far.

The government added that the safety of local communities where vessels are interdicted, and the UK’s national security, are of the utmost importance. Measures are in place to ensure the safe management of the vessel’s crew. If they disembark from the anchored vessel, they will be processed in line with UK immigration law and will be subject to comprehensive security checks. If any of the individuals are assessed as presenting a risk to the country, the government says it will take swift and robust action.

The UK has detained a stateless vessel that forms part of the Russian shadow fleet, making clear UK waters are off limits to the ships bankrolling Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine through pervasive and illicit shipping practises.

This sanctions enforcement operation was undertaken as part of the broader strategy to disrupt Russia’s shadow fleet and was carried out in strict adherence to national and international law.

In the early hours of the morning on the 14 June, British armed forces and National Crime Agency (NCA) personnel boarded the SMYRTOS, secured the vessel and moved it to an anchorage off the coast of Weymouth.

Issued by the Transport Secretary, the detention direction means the vessel is now prevented from leaving the UK.

The shadow fleet is Putin’s financial lifeline, with sanctioned oil funding the missiles and drones that kill Ukrainian civilians, as well as sponsoring malign Russian activity across the world.

The SMYRTOS will now be detained off the coast of Weymouth and will be monitored for any safety and environmental concerns.

By removing it from shadow fleet operations, the UK has disrupted Russia’s revenue flows and sent a clear message that the Government stands ready to act against attempts to evade UK sanctions.

Russia has already lost $4.5bn in oil revenues thanks to UK sanctions and today’s detention will add significant costs to Russia’s oil trade and war economy – a bill the Kremlin cannot afford to ignore.

The safety of local communities where vessels are interdicted, and the UK’s national security, are of the utmost importance. We are grateful for the support of local partners such as Dorset Police, Fire and Ambulance services and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency so far and will continue working with them to ensure the safety and security of local communities and the environment.

Robust measures and processes are in place at the UK’s border to ensure the safe management of the vessel’s crew who will be processed in line with UK immigration law if they disembark from the vessel. They will be subject to comprehensive security checks and where an individual is assessed as presenting a risk to our country, we will take swift and robust action.