UK allows 200 sanctioned Russian ships through its waters
Photo: Oil tanker (Getty Images)
Russia’s shadow fleet continues to actively use British shipping lanes to export oil. Despite official threats from London to intercept such vessels, none have been detained, according to BBC Verify.
The agency notes that back in March, Prime Minister Keir Starmer promised that British armed forces could board sanctioned vessels passing through our waters. This was intended to send a signal to the Kremlin.
However, an analysis by MarineTraffic revealed a completely different picture. Journalists identified 184 vessels subject to UK sanctions that made 238 voyages through British waters. The government has provided no evidence that even a single ship was intercepted.
The British Ministry of Defense reports on deterring the Russian fleet, though the agency has not disclosed any details. Former Royal Navy commander Tom Sharpe called this lack of action pathetic.
Where exactly Russian tankers passing through
Russian vessels are entering the United Kingdom’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This territory extends 200 nautical miles from the coast. Most routes pass through the English Channel.
The statistics on these voyages are as follows:
- 184 sanctioned vessels have been recorded in British waters
- They have passed by the shores of the United Kingdom 238 times
- The ships have crossed territorial waters (the zone within 12 miles of the coast) 94 times.
The United Kingdom tracked these ships from March 25 to May 11, and all of them have direct ties to Russia. The ownership structures of these vessels are as convoluted as possible.
Most of the vessels on the list are oil tankers (173 units). There are also 10 liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers and one multipurpose vessel.
How Russians hide
Ships in Russia’s shadow fleet often turn off their Automatic Identification Systems (AIS). This allows them to conceal their true location. Data disappears particularly frequently west of Scotland and Ireland.
In addition, Russia sometimes provokes the British. BBC Verify notes that one of the sanctioned tankers, named Universal, passed through the English Channel escorted by the Russian combat frigate Admiral Grigorovich, as confirmed by satellite imagery.
Legal experts point out that London is bound by international law.
"The position with very few exceptions is that you can't seize vessels that are flying the flag of another country," says lawyer James M. Turner.
If a tanker has the right to fly another flag, then the UK can do very little. This applies even to vessels carrying sanctioned goods.
Russia’s shadow fleet
France is preparing tough measures, planning to double fines and prison terms for crews using false flags.
Additionally, the US Coast Guard detained the tanker Olina, which belonged to the shadow fleet and specialized in exporting sanctioned oil from Russia to China, India, and Turkey while concealing its flag.
At the same time, Estonia has officially renounced the use of force in the Baltic Sea, citing the critically high risk of a military clash with Russia.
