UK plans command center to intercept Russian “shadow fleet” tankers in the North Sea and English Channel, The Sunday Times reports

The UK’s Royal Navy has drawn up proposals for European allies to establish a command center on the country’s east coast in order to track Russia’s “shadow fleet,” according to a report by The Sunday Times. Existing sanctions against the “shadow fleet” have proven insufficiently effective, the newspaper reported.

Using the proposed command center, the Royal Navy would be able to monitor the “shadow fleet” and collect intelligence. If needed, it would also be able to intercept vessels.

Under the plans, the HMS Calliope naval reserve training center would be converted into a base from which a flotilla of remotely controlled, unmanned boats could be dispatched into the North Sea and English Channel. The uncrewed craft would be similar in design to 7-meter Rattler boats that recently underwent trials off the coast of Scotland.

The Sunday Times noted that a joint operation with the U.S. to seize the tanker Marinera on Jan. 7 prompted the UK to take a more aggressive posture toward the “shadow fleet.” On Jan. 22, the UK also helped France seize a second “shadow fleet” vessel in the Mediterranean, the Grinch.

On Jan. 7 UK Defense Secretary John Healey announced that he was working with Britain’s allies to detain more such ships. Some reports suggested the Special Boat Service, an elite naval special forces unit, could be brought into the operations.

According to sources in the Defense Ministry, one factor complicating the seizure of “shadow fleet” vessels is the high cost. Holding even a single tanker for an extended period can incur expenses running into the millions. One option Healey’s team is now examining is selling the oil carried by sanctioned vessels, a move that could partly offset the costs of arresting and maintaining them.

The Sunday Times also reported that Russia has already begun sending warships into the English Channel and the Danish Straits in an effort to protect its unofficial assets. Two ships from Russia’s Baltic Fleet, the Boykiy and the Soobrazitelny, along with the Russian destroyer Severomorsk from the Northern Fleet, were monitored by NATO in the area.