DEFENDING THE NATION: James Knuckey on why France’s seizing of another suspected Russian shadow fleet vessel is showing up the UK’s inaction.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with France’s Emmanuel Macron (Image: Getty)
Emmanuel Macron has humiliated Sir Keir Starmer as France seized another suspected Russian tanker. It’s been nearly two-and-a-half months since the Prime Minister said Britain was “going after” Vladimir Putin’s murky shadow fleet “even harder” and gave our military the power to interdict sanctioned vessels travelling through UK waters.
Since then, a grand total of zero have been seized off the British coast. Meanwhile, our friends across the Channel – who have already shown us up with their response to the Iran war – are backing up their tough talk with actual action. Four alleged shadow fleet vessels have been intercepted by France since September 2025.
The UK has vowed to take action against Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet (Image: Getty)
The latest, Mr Macron revealed this week, was the Tagor which was intercepted and boarded by the French navy – in fairness, with the help of a Royal Navy helicopter – in international waters around 400 nautical miles west of Brittany.
French maritime authorities claim the ship was falsely flying a Cameroonian flag.
They alleged the vessel was sailing from the port city of Murmansk, north-west Russia, to Limbe, Cameroon, when it was stopped.
The news was met with outrage in Moscow, in what is a clear sign this action is causing a headache for Mr Putin and his cronies.
A fuming Dmitry Peskov, the Kremlin spokesperson, said the seizure was “illegal” and “bordering on international piracy”.
“Russia is taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo,” he said.
The shadow fleet is accused of circumventing international sanctions by ferrying Russian oil and gas, helping to fund Moscow’s brutal war on Ukraine.
The ships, of which there are believed to be some 700, are typically ageing oil tankers with obscure ownership and dubious flagging.
France’s actions on stopping these sanctioned vessels has made a mockery of Sir Keir’s boarding threat back in March.
Hundreds of suspected shadow fleet vessels have entered UK waters in the weeks that have followed, some escorted by Russian warships.
The Kremlin must surely think it’s called Britain’s bluff and we look so weak. Again!
RIP, military heroes
The past few weeks have been some of the hardest in recent years for our Armed Forces community and on behalf of the Express, I send our deepest condolences.
On Wednesday, Lieutenant Lily-Mae Fisher, 31, Lieutenant Commander Chris Gayson, 42, and Petty Officer Owen Green, 24, died in a Royal Navy helicopter crash.
The Merlin Mk4 crashed into a field near Okehampton, Devon, during a training exercise in the early hours. Lt Fisher was Britain’s only serving female Royal Navy Commando.
Lt Fisher, PO Green and Lt Cdr Gayson died in the helicopter crash on Wednesday (Image: Ministry of Defence/PA Wire)
Reading the tributes in newspapers and on social media has been absolutely heartbreaking.
This tragic incident came just days after Lance Corporal James Freeman, 29, of the Royal Anglian Regiment, died during a training accident in Iraq on May 31.
While on Tuesday, the funeral for Lance Bombardier Ciara Sullivan was held at The Guards’ Chapel in Wellington Barracks, central London.
The 24-year-old died after falling from her horse at the Royal Windsor Horse Show on May 15.
May they all rest in peace.
Are the DIP delays finally over?
It appears the long-awaited, and much-delayed, Defence Investment Plan (DIP) is finally going to be published.
The document, detailing plans to fund the ambitions set out in the Strategic Defence Review released more than a year ago, was due all the way back in the autumm.
The repeated hold-up has seen some UK defence manufacturers going under, while others left in what had been described as “paralysis”.
Industry sources expect the DIP to be published on Thursday, however, this has still not been confirmed so don’t necessarily hold your breath.
An extra £18billion is expected to be made available for defence over the next years, although this is still considered to be billions of pounds short of what is actually needed.
The DIP debacle has been hugely embarrassing for Labour and many defence companies have taken financial hits as a result, according to a new survey.
One source told me hundreds of skilled workers have been let go by firms amid the holdup and subsequent spending impasse. These delays have been going on far too long.
Let’s pray the DIP is finally published and desperately-needed defence plans are set in motion. The nation needs this.
