Russian "Shadow Fleet" Tanker Cuts Through English Channel After Smyrtos Seizure

The Forwarder, a Russian‑flagged tanker that left Russia’s Primorsk port on 12 June, entered the English Channel on Wednesday evening, for the first time since the Royal Marines boarded the unregistered Smyrtos at the start of the week.

Ship‑tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify shows the vessel sailing south towardDongying port in China. A Royal Navy frigate, HMS Tyne, was operating nearby, though it is unclear whether it was escorting the Forwarder.

The Forwarder was sanctioned by the UK, US and EU in 2025 for alleged oil smuggling, and has changed its name twice since the UK accused it of operating illegally.

Satellite imagery confirms the Forwarder departed Primorsk on 12 June with a load of oil from the region’s largest refinery, a key hub for Russia’s energy exports. Shadow fleet tankers have now carried about 75 % of the country’s sanctioned oil.

Marine experts note that the Forwarder's Russian flag and possible escort by the Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich make a western boarding unlikely and would constitute a further escalation. Admiral Grigorovich fired warning shots at a British yacht earlier in the week but remained near the incident location.

In the months since the Smyrtos seizure, at least 94 shadow fleet vessels have transited UK territorial waters and almost 200 have crossed the Channel, indicating the continued circumvention of maritime sanctions.

To understand the implications of this move and explore broader maritime sanctions, tell BBC Verify what you want us to investigate.