LONDON - British Armed Forces intercepted a sanctioned Russian "shadow fleet" oil tanker in the English Channel early Sunday, Prime Minister Keir Starmer said, in what Britain's Ministry of Defense described as the first UK-led operation of its kind.

In a statement released Sunday, the ministry said military personnel boarded the vessel, SMYRTOS, during a six-hour operation supported by patrol aircraft, helicopters and naval vessels.

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The tanker will be moved to an anchorage off England's south coast and remain under monitoring while investigations continue, the statement said.

Starmer said on social media that the operation had delivered "another blow to Russia."

French President Emmanuel Macron said on June 1 on social media that the French Navy intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker suspected of being part of Russia's "shadow fleet" on May 31 with British support.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the seizure by the French Navy as "illegal" and said it was "bordering on international piracy." He added that Russia was taking measures to ensure the safety of its cargo.