Late Wednesday evening a Russian‑flagged tanker called Forwarder slipped into the English Channel from the Russian port of Primorsk, the first time a shadow‑fleet tanker has entered the waterway since the United Kingdom seized the Smyrtos on Sunday morning.
Satellite imagery shows the Forwarder departed Primorsk on June 12 after loading crude oil, heading first to the corridor over the British Islands before turning south toward China’s Dongying terminal. The vessel’s movements have been tracked by commercial data feeds that show the final navigation point logged as the Chinese port.
The shadow fleet is formed of hundreds of aging tankers that transport the bulk of Russia’s oil under sanctions. Many of the ships bear obscure ownership structures and use flags of convenience to hide their true identities, enabling them to bypass Western restrictions imposed after the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine.
The UK Ministry of Defence declined to comment on the Forwarder itself, citing the danger that a public statement could hamper future operations against sanctioned vessels. Nevertheless, a Royal Navy warship, HMS Tyne, was noted by tracking services as operating near the tanker during the same period.
UK officials have emphasized that each target ship will be evaluated individually by law‑enforcement, military and energy‑market experts before any action is taken, though the procedure remains largely undisclosed.
According to estimates from the Ministry, the shadow fleet moves 75 percent of Russia’s sanctioned oil, with around 700 vessels active today. In the wake of the Smyrtos seizure, the United Kingdom discovered that a majority of these ships have altered their courses to circle the western coast of Ireland, avoiding the 12‑nautical‑mile territorial zone.
Experts suggest the UK is unlikely to confront a Russian‑flagged tanker directly—even if escorting warships are present—viewing such a move as a significant escalation. The recent incident where Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots into a British yacht further illustrates the tense atmosphere surrounding these vessels.
The channel is now covered by heightened vigilance, yet the passage of the Forwarder indicates that the shadow fleet remains high‑speed, making any interception a delicate operation amid international law and strategic considerations.
