Royal Marines land on Faroe Islands for first time since WWII to intercept Russia's 'shadow fleet'
From the Newshound archive · first published 2 October 2026 · last updated 3 October 2026.
Royal Marines conducting ship boarding drills in the Faroe Islands, part of Exercise Lion Protector 26 — the first British land exercise there since the Second World War, prompted by Russia's reported build-up of a new…A Royal Marine from UK Commando Force aboard a vessel during the Faroe Islands exercise, conducted alongside Danish troops as Russia reportedly builds a new shadow fleet to circumvent Western sanctions.Royal Marines climbing from a rigid inflatable boat onto a vessel in the Faroe Islands, as Exercise Lion Protector 26 spans the North Atlantic, High North and Baltic Sea.A Royal Marine from UK Commando Force on vessel during the Faroe Islands drills, which span the North Atlantic, High North and Baltic Sea as part of the wider exercise.
Royal Marines have conducted the first British land exercise in the Faroe Islands since the Second World War, training on vessel boardings and shore landings across the strategically important North Atlantic archipelago. Hundreds of Special Operations Maritime Task Group personnel joined Danish forces for the late September drills under Exercise Lion Protector 26. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned Russia is becoming "more reckless and less discreet" during meetings with JEF counterparts in Keflavik, Iceland, attended also by representatives from Ukraine and Canada.
The Faroe Islands occupy a central position in the GIUK Gap, the North Atlantic's key maritime gateway for Russian ships sailing to and from the Arctic.
Marines trained to board shadow-fleet tankers used to ship sanctioned Russian oil funding Moscow's war in Ukraine, and rehearsed defending vital undersea cables.
First Sea Lord General Sir Gwyn Jenkins said the return 'should send an unequivocal message' that allies stand ready to protect critical routes.
