Russian tankers head en masse through English Channel: UK promises 'assertive actions'
Illustrative photo: dozens of shadow fleet vessels passed through the English Channel in January (Getty Images)
At least eight sanctioned oil tankers are currently moving through the English Channel, despite the UK government announcing efforts to combat the shadow fleet, BBC reports.
The UK government has pledged to take "assertive actions" against the vessels of the shadow fleet. According to the BBC, British officials have been advised that tankers could be detained and confiscated.
However, these powers have not yet been used, and on Friday, January 30, the ship-tracking site MarineTraffic showed that eight sanctioned tankers were currently moving through the English Channel. Another four tankers appear to be heading toward the Channel from the North Sea.
Some of the vessels, such as the 21-year-old oil tanker Kusto, which is currently sailing south of the Isle of Wight, have repeatedly traveled through the Channel over the past year. According to MarineTraffic, Kusto loaded cargo in the Russian port of Ust-Luga ten days ago.
BBC reports that dozens of other shadow fleet vessels have passed through the Channel since the beginning of the year.
The EU’s 20th sanctions package against the aggressor country is intended to block the shadow fleet, which allows Russia to generate revenue from oil.
Recently, a group of 14 EU countries warned Russian shadow fleet tankers in the Baltic and North Seas. Those that fail to meet certain requirements will be treated as vessels without national registration.
Additionally, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence previously explained how Russia’s shadow fleet operates and how many tankers it includes. Since the price cap on Russian oil was introduced in December 2022, Moscow has spent over $10 billion to acquire shadow fleet tankers.
