UK considers using seized Russian oil to fund Ukraine war effort

Britain is examining plans to use oil seized from Russian “shadow fleet” tankers to help finance Ukraine’s resistance against Russia, a government source has revealed.

Under discussion is a strategy that would both deny Russia revenue from sanctioned oil and redirect any funds raised to support Ukraine, Caliber.Az reports via British media.

“There would be a double impact on Russia’s war machine — we wouldn’t just be depriving them of illicit war revenues but also finding a way to help fund Ukraine’s resistance,” the source said.

The shadow fleet consists of hundreds of vessels engaged in the covert export of Russian oil, often sailing under false flags to evade sanctions. Two tankers sanctioned by the UK, Spring Fortune and Range Vale, are expected to enter the English Channel on January 14, potentially making them targets for British special forces. 

Spring Fortune, sanctioned in May last year for activities benefiting the Russian government and destabilising Ukraine, has previously sailed under multiple flags, including Greece, the Marshall Islands, Malta and Panama. Range Vale, linked to the UAE-based Radiating World Shipping Services, a sanctioned operator of shadow fleet vessels, has also changed names and flags repeatedly, including those of the Cook Islands, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia and Niue.

British elite troops, trained to board vessels by helicopter and capture crews, could be deployed to seize these tankers, marking a significant escalation in efforts to disrupt Russia’s sanctioned oil trade. Legal measures under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act provide a framework for such operations.

Nato officials in the UK are monitoring at least three additional Russian tankers — Vesna, Veronica III and Bertha — travelling across the Atlantic towards Europe. While Nato does not typically conduct raids, Commander Arlo Abrahamson, chief of public affairs at Nato Maritime Command, said the alliance maintains “a persistent understanding of the patterns of life with merchant shipping, and we work closely with allies to share analysis and information about vessels of interest.”

He added that allies coordinate to ensure free and open sea lanes and collectively address maritime threats.

A recent operation saw US Navy Seals, with British support, seize the tanker Marinera (formerly Bella 1) off Scotland after it evaded authorities across the Atlantic. The Ministry of Defence said it was focused on “deterring, disrupting and degrading” Russia’s shadow fleet, and added: “Alongside our allies we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels — and we will continue to do so.”

By Aghakazim Guliyev