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UK Royal Marines board Russian shadow fleet tanker Smyrtos in English Channel.
Tsk tsk.
The legal basis for the boarding was the Smyrtos having lost its Cameroon flag registration. Cameroon deregistered 36 shadow-fleet vessels in early June 2026 following EU diplomatic pressure, leaving the Smyrtos without nationality. UNCLOS Article 110 grants any warship the right to board a vessel without nationality to verify flag status; this removed the need for any extraordinary statutory authority and made the interdiction legally straightforward under international law.
https://www.osinthq.org/2026/06/14/uk-shadow-fleet-tanker-smyrtos-seizure/