The Forwarder, a Russian‑flagged tanker that left the port of Primorsk last week, entered the English Channel on Wednesday evening and sailed south, heading for China’s Dongying port.
It is the first United Kingdom‑jurisdiction vessel of the shadow fleet to cross the channel since the Royal Marines boarded the Smyrtos on Sunday morning, according to ship‑tracking data. The shadow fleet is a covert network of hundreds of ageing tankers used by Russia to bypass Western sanctions on oil exports imposed after the full‑scale invasion of Ukraine.
UK‑sanctioned tankers had avoided the channel since the Smyrtos interception, as several vessels altered course to evade the waterway. Satellite imagery shows the Forwarder left Primorsk on 12 June after loading oil, with the closest refinery in the Baltic Sea and a critical export hub for Russia’s energy industry.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said the UK would not comment on the Forwarder or on specific operational planning, citing the risk that public statements could impair the government’s ability to act against these ships.
Data from ship trackers also indicated a Royal Navy warship, HMS Tyne, operating in the vicinity of the Forwarder. However, no confirmed escort from a Russian warship such as Admiral Grigorovich was seen accompanying the tanker.
The Forwarder is sanctioned by the UK, US and EU and has been renamed twice after accusations of oil smuggling. Only 75% of Russia’s sanctioned oil is transported by the shadow fleet, making vessels like the Forwarder a critical lifeline for the Kremlin’s war economy.
British officials stated they would consider each target ship individually, weighing legal, military and market factors before any boarding operation.
Following the Smyrtos incident, many sanctioned tankers altered their routes to circumnavigate the English Channel, with some now traveling around the western coast of Ireland. Euro‑ naval officials recently reported that almost 200 shadow fleet vessels have passed through the channel since the announcement by Prime Minister Keir Starmer that British forces could board sanctioned ships.
While some maritime experts acknowledge increased alertness, they remain skeptical that the UK or France will attempt to intercept a Russian‑flagged ship like the Forwarder, arguing this could represent a further escalation in the Anglo‑Russian confrontation at sea.
