Russian Shadow Tanker Infiltrates English Channel After Smyrtos Incident

Thu Jun 18 2026 15:28:45 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A sanctioned Russian tanker, Forwarder, has slipped back into the English Channel, raising questions about maritime security and sanction enforcement after UK forces seized the Smyrtos.

The shell‑shocked Russian vessel Forwarder has entered the English Channel on Wednesday, the first movement of a “shadow fleet” tanker since the British boarded the Smyrtos earlier this week. Ship‑tracking data, confirmed by BBC Verify, shows Forwarder heading south to Dongying, China, while a Royal Navy warship, HMS Tyne, was nearby. The move follows a surge in surveillance of sanctioned tankers, many of which have since rerouted around Ireland to avoid UK waters. The incident underscores the escalating tension over Russia’s oil routes and the UK’s newly granted authority to board vessels violating sanctions.

The Russian‑flagged tanker Forwarder, believed part of the shadow fleet that supplies the Kremlin, entered the English Channel on Wednesday evening after being released from port in Primorsk.

According to ship‑tracking feeds reviewed by BBC Verify, the vessel is now headed south to the Chinese port of Dongying, a route that has not been used since the Royal Marines boarded the Smyrtos on Sunday morning. The Smyrtos was seized for operating without a registered flag and in breach of international sanctions.

BBC Verify’s analysis shows a Royal Navy warship, HMS Tyne, operating in close proximity to Forwarder. No indication currently exists that the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich is escorting the tanker.

Forwarder had been sanctioned by the UK, the US and the EU in 2025 for alleged oil smuggling, and has changed its name twice to avoid detection. The vessel is linked to the largest oil refinery on the Baltic Sea and is believed to transport a key portion of Russia’s sanctioned oil.

Overall, the shadow fleet comprises over 700 ageing tankers with obscured ownership that allegedly make up 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil shipments. Since the Smyrtos seizure, many vessels have altered routes to skirt UK territorial waters, often opting for passage along Ireland’s western coast.

Britain’s Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that armed forces could board sanctioned vessels violating UK waters, yet experts suggest it is unlikely western forces will engage a Russian‑flagged tanker that may be escorted by a Russian warship. The Forwarder’s entry arrives at a time when NATO officials are monitoring Russian naval activity in the region.

BBC Verify has asked the Ministry of Defence for comments and is seeking further insights into whether any escort vessels accompany Forwarder. The situation continues to develop as the EU and US monitor potential changes to the shadow fleet’s navigation patterns.

For more details, BBC Verify invites readers to share topics for investigation at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czd9yz5n354o.