India, June 15 -- British armed forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian shadow fleet oil tanker in the English Channel on Sunday morning in the first UK-led operation of its kind.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the vessel SMYRTOS was boarded by Royal Marine Commandos and specially trained law enforcement officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA). The military operation, which lasted six hours, was supported with aircraft from the Maritime Air Group - Chinooks, Merlin Mk4 and Wildcat - a Royal Air Force (RAF) P-8 aircraft, as well as HMS Sutherland and HMS Ledbury. "This operation delivers yet another blow to Russia and reminds those fuelling (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war in Ukraine that they cannot hide...