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The United Kingdom is planning a “false flag” operation aimed at discrediting the transport of Russian oil via the so-called “shadow fleet”—a term used to describe vessels allegedly circumventing Western sanctions—Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) claimed on Monday.
According to the SVR statement, British intelligence agencies, reportedly in coordination with NATO allies, are preparing to stage a sabotage event that could be blamed on Russia.
The SVR’s claims come just days before U.S. President Donald Trump's deadline for Russia to agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine, which was recently shortened to 10 days.
The objective, it claimed, is to generate global media coverage that would pressure the United States into imposing secondary sanctions on countries and entities that continue to partner with Russia in the energy sector.
The SVR suggested that the UK is considering two possible methods for staging the alleged incident. The first involves orchestrating an “accident” in a narrow maritime passage involving a Russian-linked oil tanker. This would serve as a pretext to establish a precedent for emergency inspections of similar vessels in international waters.
The second alleged scenario entails setting a tanker ablaze during loading operations in a port located in a country considered friendly to Russia. Such an incident would require an international investigation, according to the statement, with responsibility potentially directed at either Russia or Ukraine.
“These steps will enable the West to claim that the transportation of Russian oil represents a threat to all international shipping,” the statement said. “This will free the West’s hands in choosing methods of counteraction.”
Russian authorities further alleged that any resulting incident could be used to justify detaining suspicious vessels and escorting them to ports in NATO member states.
Initially set as a 50-day window in June, Trump’s ceasefire deadline was shortened to 10 days in late July, with a warning that failure to reach a deal by Friday could trigger import tariffs of up to 100% on Russian goods and those of its trading partners.
No immediate response has been issued by UK authorities regarding the allegations.
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