The Forwarder, a Russian‑flagged tanker bound for China’s Dongying port, entered the busy waterway on Wednesday evening, the first passage by a “shadow fleet” ship since the Royal Marines seized the Smyrtos early this week.
Ship‑tracking systems show the vessel sailing southwards through the Channel, while data also reveals a Royal Navy warship, HMS Tyne, nearby, suggesting a heightened security presence around the tanker's route. The British authorities have sent official inquiries to the Ministry of Defence for comment, but no intervention or boarding has taken place to date.
Sir Keir Starmer announced last month that British forces would begin boarding sanctioned vessels that step off the rule of international law. The Smyrtos was boarded because it bore no valid flag and was suspected of violating sanctions, providing a legal basis for the Royal Marines to restrict the vessel.
Boards of the Smyrtos
The Forwarder itself was previously sanctioned by the UK, US and EU in 2025 for allegedly smuggling oil from Russia. Despite changing its name twice, the vessel remains registered under Russia and evidence suggests the flag is not false.
Satellite imagery confirms Forwarder left Primorsk on 12 June after loading oil from Russia’s largest Baltic Sea refinery, a key export hub. The route signals the shadow fleet’s continued role in keeping Russia’s economy afloat amid Western sanctions.
Past channel crossings
The flotilla, consisting of more than 700 ageing tankers with obscure ownership, carries roughly 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil. Analysts say that any move to board a Russian‑flagged vessel would be a step up in escalation and likely met with diplomatic resistance from Belgium and other Western states.
BBC Verify investigation requests
The data shows multiple sanctioned tankers diverted from the Channel after the Smyrtos incident, favouring a route around the west coast of Ireland. In total, BBC Verify reckoned nearly 200 shadow fleet ships have crossed the Channel in the period following Captain Keir’s announcement, with 94 briefly entering UK territorial waters.
