More than 100 ships suspected of belonging to Russia’s “shadow fleet” have sailed through British waters this year, The i Paper can reveal, as Royal Navy vessels monitor the Channel for illicit oil tankers linked to Vladimir Putin.
Weeks after British forces helped the US seize the runaway Russian tanker Bella 1, vessels accused of helping to bankroll Putin’s war in Ukraine continue to pass close to UK shores.
Despite the government’s promise of “assertive action” against the shadow fleet, the ships have so far continued to pass freely through British waters.
Earlier this month, the Government received legal advice confirming the circumstances under which such ships could be detained. Since then, 45 sanctioned shadow vessels have travelled through the English Channel, 36 of which have been explicitly sanctioned by Britain for links to Putin.
At least three passed through the Channel on Friday morning, according to data from Starboard Maritime Intelligence.
As European allies have increased efforts to clamp down on Russia’s shadow fleet, the UK’s involvement in seizures has so far been limited to a supporting role.
The Kremlin relies on a vast network of more than 1,400 shadow vessels to enable illicit trade deals, and launch hybrid warfare in the West.
The UK has so far sanctioned more than 520 vessels in the fleet, accusing them of facilitating clandestine oil deals and helping to fund Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. As a result, the ships are barred from docking at UK ports and may be inspected or seized while transiting British waters.
At least 82 ships sanctioned by the US, UK or EU have sailed through the Channel this year, with over half of them passing British shores after the government’s legal advice, this paper can reveal.
One ship sailing past UK shores on Friday, Triumf, is accused of facilitating Moscow’s illicit oil trades and threatening to “undermine” the sovereignty of Ukraine. It passed westward through the Channel from a port in northern Russia.
Another, the Bullar, was also black-listed by the Foreign Office last year for similar reasons. It is suspected of sailing falsely under the Sierra Leone flag and could be subject to a forced boarding under international maritime laws.
A third, Hyperion, passed through the sea lane between France and the UK earlier this week after fleeing Donald Trump’s blockade of Venezuela. The ship had recently reflagged and is believed to be heading back to Russia.
Earlier this month, the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, vowed to “tighten the chokehold” on the Russian shadow fleet with more “enforcement measures”, as she watched border agents in Finland demonstrate how they would seize Russian tankers.
But the Shadow Foreign Secretary, Priti Patel, accused Keir Starmer’s government of “standing idly” in the face of Moscow’s illicit trade, and urged for a “firm stance” against Russian shadow vessels.
“The Government has said it will do more to tackle this problem, but actions speak louder than words,” Patel said. “As our friends in Ukraine resist Putin’s barbaric invasion, Britain should be taking a firm stance against Russia’s shadow fleet.”
The US Coast Guard cutter Munro escorting the Bella-1 before a joint US-UK operation was launched to seize it. (Photo: US Secretary of Defense Public Affairs)It comes after a blistering speech on Thursday from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy where he called out Europe’s lack of action, and said the continent needs to learn how to defend itself.”
“Putin managed to stop Europe, unfortunately,” he said at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “What’s missing? Time? Or political will? Too often in Europe, something is more urgent.”
“Europe loves to discuss the future but avoids taking action today,” he added.
Nato is believed to be monitoring Russia’s shadow fleet, providing support to European allies who ultimately make the decision to board ships based on a number of security, legal, and operational factors.
Nato spokesperson Arlo Abrahamson said: “Recent interdictions of shadow vessels by Allies demonstrate that nations have the capabilities to stop vessels of interest when national or collective security concerns arise.”
Increased surveillance, still no action
Following the seizure of the runaway Bella-1 around 100 miles from UK waters earlier this month, British military forces have stepped up overt monitoring patrols of suspected shadow fleet vessels in UK waters, but have so far stopped short of direct action.
Meanwhile, European allies have moved to bar suspect vessels from their waters and carry out seizures of their own. On Tuesday, the French navy intercepted a sanctioned oil tanker, the Grinch, in the Mediterranean, during a joint operation supported by the UK.
Last week, German authorities ordered the Russian shadow fleet vessel,Tavian, not to enter their territorial waters after The i Paper revealed it had sailed through the Channel.
In a further Nato-coordinated operation this week, Royal Navy ships and aircraft were deployed to the Channel to monitor Russian naval movements. Patrol vessels HMS Mersey and HMS Severn, alongside a Naval Air Squadron Wildcat helicopter, tracked the Russian tanker MT General Skobelev as it sailed through the Channel under escort from a Kremlin warship.
The French Navy boarded the Grinch oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, supported by British naval vessels (Photo: AFP)Maritime tracking data seen by this paper showed that a Royal Navy ship used in the seizure of the runaway Bella-1 was also operating in the English Channel.
The RFA Tideforce, a replenishment tanker providing logistical support for naval operations and tanker seizures, was conducting routine operations while test flights of at least four wildcat helicopters were carried out from British Royal Navy bases, this paper can reveal.
While the operations were underway, Putin’s shadow fleet sailed past naval ships undeterred.
A loophole on our shores
The Hyperion was transiting the Channel eastbound towards Ust-Luga, an oil port in northern Russia during the UK naval operations.
The vessel was sanctioned by the US last year for fuelling Russia’s illicit oil trade. After reflagging from Gambian to Russian registry in an apparent attempt to shield itself, it crossed the Atlantic.
Last week, it reached the coast of Madeira and appeared set to pass through the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Grinch was later seized. Instead, it abruptly altered course, heading north towards the Channel.
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That diversion, experts say, may signal growing reluctance among Moscow’s shadow fleet to enter the Mediterranean, forcing more sanctioned traffic through the Channel instead.
A Nato maritime expert, who wished not to be named, said the Mediterranean Sea was “probably the most difficult area” for Russia to retaliate against shadow fleet seizures due to the lack of Kremlin naval presence in the waters, and its distance from Russia.
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The Ministry of Defence said: “Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government. Alongside our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels – and we will continue to do so.”
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