Russian "shadow fleet" tankers are reportedly diverting from the English Channel after UK forces intercepted and boarded the Smyrtos. Ship-tracking data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence shows multiple sanctioned tankers altering their courses to avoid the waterway, with many now circumventing the west coast of Ireland. This shift began shortly after Royal Marines and National Crime Agency (NCA) officers seized the Cameroonian-flagged Smyrtos on June 14, which was sailing without a registered flag in breach of international law. The vessel is currently held off Weymouth, and its captain faces sanctions-related charges. This action stemmed from new powers announced in March by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, allowing British forces to board sanctioned vessels not operating in accordance with international law within UK waters.
Despite the general avoidance, the Russian-flagged tanker Forwarder, which departed Primorsk last week and broadcasts its destination as Dongying, China, recently entered the English Channel. Experts, including Frederik Van Lokeren, a former Belgian naval officer, indicate that intercepting a Russian-flagged vessel like the Forwarder would represent a significant escalation compared to the Smyrtos, which was delisted by its registry. Van Lokeren suggests it's unlikely the UK or France would board such a vessel, especially if it were potentially escorted by a Russian warship. However, ship-tracking data showed the Royal Navy's HMS Tyne operating near the Forwarder's location.
The "shadow fleet" consists of hundreds of aging tankers, many with opaque ownership structures, used by Russia to bypass Western sanctions on oil exports imposed after the invasion of Ukraine. According to the MoD, this clandestine fleet, numbering over 700 vessels, transports 75% of Russia's sanctioned oil. While nearly 200 shadow fleet vessels passed through the Channel in the months following Sir Keir's announcement, the recent boarding of the Smyrtos appears to have had a deterrent effect, forcing many to consider longer and more costly alternative routes around Europe, such as the North Atlantic. Mark Douglas of Starboard Maritime Intelligence noted that the Smyrtos's lack of a registered flag provided a clearer legal basis for the UK's intervention, making future boardings of legitimately flagged Russian vessels more complex.
