According to tracking data analyzed by the BBC's data verification department BBC Verify, a tanker from the Russian shadow fleet has entered the English Channel. This is the first case since Sunday when British military detained the tanker Smyrtos.
The vessel Forwarder, flying the Russian flag and having left the port of Primorsk last week, entered the English Channel on Wednesday evening and is heading south. It lists the port of Dunying in China as its final destination.
Shadow fleet vessels, which are subject to UK sanctions, have been avoiding the Channel since British military intercepted Smyrtos; tracking data shows that several sanctioned vessels have altered their course to bypass the strait.
The BBC has contacted the UK Ministry of Defence for comments.
According to data obtained by the BBC, the Royal Navy warship HMS Tyne is operating in the vicinity of the tanker’s location.
The Russian shadow fleet continues to cross British territorial waters despite interception threats. The vessel Forwarder was sanctioned by the UK, US, and EU in 2025. Since the British government accused it of smuggling oil from Russia, the vessel has changed its name twice.
According to satellite images, Forwarder left Primorsk on June 12 after loading oil. This oil terminal is the largest in the Baltic Sea and plays a key role as an export hub for the Russian energy sector.
Shadow fleet tankers like Forwarder have become a vital support for the Kremlin since the West imposed sanctions on Russian energy exports following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
According to the UK Ministry of Defence, this fleet, consisting of over 700 aging tankers, whose owners are generally undisclosed, facilitates the transportation of 75% of Russian oil that is under sanctions.
