Russian shadow fleet tanker re‑enters English Channel after Smyrtos seizure

A ship registered to Russia, named Forwarder, crossed the English Channel on Wednesday evening, marking the first sanctioned vessel to do so since UK forces boarded the Smyrtos on Sunday morning. Ship‑tracking data reviewed by our verification team shows the tanker left the Russian port of Primorsk on 12 June, with a final destination listed as the Chinese port of Dongying, and sailed south along the Channel’s western flank.

The Smyrtos incident was the latest in a series of high‑profile sanctions enforcement actions: a junk‑yard vessel was seized offshore of Weymouth after operating without a registered flag and violating international oil‑shipping rules. In the wake of that event, satellite and AIS data show that most shadow‑fleet tankers – a group of more than 700 ageing vessels that typically bear obscure or “flag‑of‑convenience” registrations – altered their courses to avoid the Channel, with many taking a detour around the western coast of Ireland.

Forwarder is listed as sanctioned by the United Kingdom, the United States, and the European Union since 2025. It has changed its name twice and, unlike the Smyrtos, carries a Russian flag, which analysts say is not a false flag. The Royal Navy’s HMS Tyne was reported operating in the vicinity of the tanker's location, though it is unclear whether any escort was deployed. A former Russian naval officer and maritime analyst, Frederik Van Lokeren, warned that the UK would be unlikely to board a Russian‑flagged vessel that may be escorted by a Russian warship.

Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced in March that armed forces could board sanctioned vessels passing through UK waters if they fail to follow international law. Analysts argue that while the action against the Smyrtos provides a clear legal basis for boarding, intervening against a Russian‑flagged, potentially escorted tanker would constitute a higher level of escalation.

In May, investigations confirmed that nearly 200 shadow‑fleet vessels had passed through the Channel since the UK’s announcement, with at least 94 breaching the 12‑nautical‑mile UK territorial waters. Forwarder’s passage suggests that despite the strict sanctions regime, Russian oil shipping persists through Western Europe, creating a complex dynamic for both enforcement and maritime trade routes.

For more on UK sanctions and maritime enforcement, visit BBC News.