Britain could redirect oil seized from Russian shadow fleet tankers towards financing Ukraine's war efforts.
The scheme under discussion would deliver a twofold blow to Vladimir Putin, simultaneously cutting off illegal revenue streams and channelling those funds to Kyiv.
"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," a Government source told The Times.
However, it is not known whether the approach is workable.
The newspaper revealed yesterday that elite British military units were being prepared to board and capture "shadow fleet" vessels as part of intensified economic pressure on the Kremlin.
And on Wednesday, two crude oil tankers under British sanctions are expected to enter the English Channel at around midday, presenting possible targets for special forces intervention.
Spring Fortune and Range Vale are both operating under false flags, displaying Cameroonian and Zimbabwean banners respectively.
Their passage could expose them to boarding operations authorised under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act.
Specialist troops with training in helicopter-based ship assaults and crew detention could be deployed against the vessels
|GETTY
Specialist troops with training in helicopter-based ship assaults and crew detention could be deployed against the vessels.
The Government is said to have established legal grounds for such raids, which could ultimately extend to hundreds of illicit tankers operating within Russia's shadow fleet network.
Both ships have extensive histories of changing their identities and national registrations to evade detection and sanctions enforcement.
Britain slapped sanctions on Spring Fortune in May 2025 over Russian activities designed to destabilise Ukraine.
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Britain slapped sanctions on Spring Fortune in May 2025
|MARINE TRAFFIC
The tanker has previously operated under Greek, Maltese, Panamanian and Marshall Islands flags.
Range Vale has been involved in transporting crude from Russian ports, particularly those in the Baltic Sea region, and was sanctioned by Britain in 2024.
The vessel maintains links to Radiating World Shipping Services, a UAE-based firm under sanctions that is considered among the principal shadow fleet operators.
It has flown flags from the Cook Islands, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia and Niue.
Nato officials based in Britain are believed to be tracking three additional suspected Russian oil tankers currently crossing the Atlantic.
Marinera was captured by US Navy Seals with British assistance last week
| REUTERSVesna, Veronica III and Bertha are believed to be heading towards European waters.
Marinera, an oil tanker captured by US Navy Seals with British assistance last week, was photographed on Tuesday in the Moray Firth off the coast of Scotland.
The vessel, formerly called Bella 1, was intercepted last Wednesday after attempting to head across the Atlantic towards Russia.
The Ministry of Defence declined to discuss specific operational planning or ongoing maritime activities but said that countering Russia's shadow fleet remained a priority.
"Alongside our allies we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels and we will continue to do so," a spokesman said.
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