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How Britain Could Turn Putin’s Oil Against Him to Fund Ukraine’s Defense
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The UK is weighing proposals that would allow oil seized from Russia’s shadow fleet to be redirected toward supporting Ukraine’s war effort, a government source has said, according to The Times on January 13.
Under the ideas currently under discussion, Britain would aim not only to cut off revenue streams feeding Russia’s war machine but also to channel proceeds from sanctioned oil sales directly to Ukraine. It remains uncertain whether such an approach could be implemented in practice.
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“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.
According to The Times, British special forces are being prepared to board Russian shadow fleet vessels as part of a broader effort to hit the Russian economy. The plan would involve elite units trained to descend onto ships from helicopters and take control of crews, potentially targeting hundreds of illicit oil tankers after the government identified a legal framework allowing such operations.
Two vessels already sanctioned by the UK — Spring Fortune and Range Vale — are expected to enter the English Channel around midday on January 14. Both crude oil tankers are sailing under false flags, those of Cameroon and Zimbabwe, making them potential targets for raids under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act, the outlet reported.
Spring Fortune was placed under UK sanctions in May last year for activities deemed to destabilize Ukraine or benefit the Russian government. The tanker has previously operated under multiple names and sailed under the flags of Greece, the Marshall Islands, Malta, and Panama.
Range Vale, which has been involved in exporting oil from Russian ports, particularly in the Baltic Sea, was sanctioned by Britain in 2024. The vessel is linked to Radiating World Shipping Services, a UAE-based company under sanctions and described as one of the major operators of the shadow fleet, as reported by The Times.
Range Vale has also repeatedly changed its name and previously sailed under the flags of the Cook Islands, Greece, Honduras, Indonesia, and Niue.
Separately, NATO officials in the UK are reportedly tracking at least three additional suspected Russian oil tankers currently crossing the Atlantic.
Earlier, it was reported that more than 15 oil tankers involved in moving sanctioned crude have switched to flying the Russian flag in the past two weeks.
Richard Meade, editor in chief of Lloyd’s List, said that switching to the Russian flag is seen as a way for the shadow fleet to claim protection from raids and warned that the practice could easily become a point of tension between Washington and Moscow.
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