Is this proof Marines' mid-Channel raid on Russian ship was staged stunt to boost embattled Starmer?

The Daily Mail ^ | 21 Jun 2026 | GLEN OWEN and BRENDAN CARLIN

[MinorityRepublican]

Damning new evidence that Sir Keir Starmer ordered the interception of a Russian 'shadow fleet' oil tanker in the English Channel in a desperate effort to shore up his weakening grip on Downing Street has emerged after defence experts said that film of the event had been 'stage-managed'

Sources have said that Sir Keir gave the go-ahead for last weekend's raid on the Smyrtos by Royal Marines, driven by the need to produce a 'PR boost' for the embattled Prime Minister just days after Defence Secretary John Healey quit over lack of funding for defence.

It was also during the lead-up to the Makerfield by-election, where Labour's Andy Burnham was bidding, successfully, to return to Westminster to oust Sir Keir.

And the raid came on the eve of the G7 summit and a potential confrontation with US President Donald Trump, who famously declared in March that the Prime Minister was 'not Winston Churchill'.

Now, experts have claimed that part of the official footage of the raid was 'stage-managed', as it appeared to show armed commandos being filmed by cameramen who had gone ahead of them as they searched the vessel and descended an internal staircase.

At one point, marines and National Crime Agency officers are shown being given a film director-style instruction, 'Yeah – hold that', as they check the contents of a room on the ship.

Tim Ripley, from the respected Defence Eye website, said: 'The footage of the marines' intervention raised a lot of eyebrows. It was clearly stage-managed as the cameraman was at the bottom of the stairs filming before the soldiers cleared the rooms.'

---

TOPICS: United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: brendancarlin; dailyfail; glenowen; putinthewarpig; russiansuicide; unitedkingdom; vladtheimploder

[Redleg Duke]

What country provided the transportation to the Royal Marines?

[Leaning Right]

It could have been worse. Starmer could have ordered the Marines to raid Reform’s offices.

But maybe that will come later.
🤔

[rlmorel]

They are Leftists who coined the phrase “Wag The Dog”, so yeah. By default it was a stunt.

[EnderWiggin1970]

Maybe some of the illegal migrants who arrive daily in boats offered to give them a lift?

[MurrietaMadman]

Publicizing how far afield politicians can/will go with their psychological operations in efforts to control the subjects. Tch, tch, tch.

They must have been very frightened. Last stand frightened for them.

And they provided so many other ships (ladened with the enemy?) free passage. Traitors, all, Starmer and crew. Thick as fleas.