A Russian‑flagged tanker called Forwarder entered the English Channel on Wednesday evening, the first vessel of its kind to cross the waterway since the UK forces boarded the Smyrtos on Sunday morning. Tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify shows the ship departed from Primorsk on 12 June after loading oil from Russia’s largest Baltic refinery and is now sailing southbound toward Dongying port in China.
The Forwarder is part of a covert fleet of more than 700 ageing tankers that carry up to 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil. Since the UK announced that it could now board sanctioned vessels passing through its waters, these ships have largely altered their routes to avoid the English Channel, often hugging the west coast of Ireland. However, the Forwarder broke this pattern, raising new concerns for the British and NATO forces that monitor the area.
Tracking data indicates a Royal Navy warship, HMS Tyne, was operating near the Forwarder’s location. A Russian frigate, Admiral Grigorovich, has previously been assigned to escort sanctioned vessels; it fired warning shots at a British yacht in the Channel on Tuesday and remains close to the area of the incident. A Nato official has said it is unclear whether Admiral Grigorovich is escorting the Forwarder.
The Forwarder was sanctioned by the UK, US and EU in 2025 after allegations of oil smuggling. Unlike the Smyrtos, which was seized for sailing without a registered flag, the Forwarder bears a Russian flag and its ownership structure has not been proven as false. Mark Douglas of Starboard Maritime Intelligence points out that the vessel’s flag and country of registration suggest it is not a false‑flag operation.
The recent boarding of the Smyrtos gave UK authorities a clearer legal basis to intercept ships, prompting the Navy to announce they could now board sanctioned vessels. Yet, experts caution that action against a Russian‑flagged vessel escorted by Russian warships might trigger escalation and is therefore unlikely to proceed in the short term.
According to the Ministry of Defence, the shadow fleet has operated through the English Channel consistently since the “Smyrtos” incident, with almost 200 vessels passing through the waterway in the months following the announcement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer that forces would intercept sanctioned ships. In at least 94 instances, shadow fleet vessels briefly entered UK territorial waters.
BBC Verify has reached out to the Ministry of Defence for comments on the potential implications of the Forwarder’s passage and the likelihood of future boardings. The current situation underscores the growing challenges of enforcing sanctions in a high‑traffic maritime corridor.
