Dozens of oil tankers sanctioned by the UK in response to Russia's war in Ukraine have sailed through the English Channel this month despite defence officials vowing to take assertive action. Since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has used hundreds of ageing tankers with obscured ownership - known as the shadow fleet - to evade sanctions on its oil exports.
The BBC understands that the UK government received legal assurances earlier this month that such vessels can be detained. Yet 42 sanctioned tankers tracked by BBC Verify passing through the English Channel did so after that advice was received. Among them was the Sofos - a tanker sanctioned by the UK Foreign Office in May 2025. It moved through the Channel after travelling from Venezuela and is now near the Russian city of St Petersburg.
Ship-tracking data shows the Sofos loaded oil in Russia in mid-November before travelling to Turkey and then to Venezuela, where it switched off its tracking signal. Satellite imagery later placed it at Venezuela's Jose oil terminal on 22 and 23 December, before its signal reappeared outside the country's waters on 26 December.
The Nasledie, a tanker which is more than 20 years old, also entered the Channel in January. The ship was sanctioned by the UK in May 2025 and has been part of the shadow fleet since 2023. The vessel left Russia in late December and soon after the UK’s legal advice was reported, it entered the Channel carrying about 100,000 tonnes of Urals crude, Russia's flagship oil grade.
The shadow fleet has helped Russia mitigate the impact of an embargo on its oil exports imposed since 2022 and has helped prop up an economy battered by Western sanctions.
In January, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated the British government was ready to tighten the chokehold on Russia and take new assertive actions against shadow fleet vessels, following legal advice that troops could board and seize tankers under the Sanctions and Money Act 2018. However, no independent seizures of shadow fleet vessels have occurred by British troops so far.
Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, expressed disappointment at the lack of interceptions, emphasizing the importance of enacting sanctions effectively to support Ukraine. Mike Martin, a Liberal Democrat MP, criticized the UK for its reluctance to act independently given that the Royal Marines are well-equipped for such operations.
Simultaneously, Russia has shown signs of fortifying its shipping routes, with reports indicating that sanctioned tankers are being escorted through the Channel by Russian warships. The Ministry of Defence stated that deterring and disrupting the shadow fleet is a priority and they intend to escalate their response alongside allies.
Overall, as dozens of sanctioned tankers continue to traverse the Channel unimpeded, the UK faces growing scrutiny regarding the effectiveness of its sanctions initiative amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
The BBC understands that the UK government received legal assurances earlier this month that such vessels can be detained. Yet 42 sanctioned tankers tracked by BBC Verify passing through the English Channel did so after that advice was received. Among them was the Sofos - a tanker sanctioned by the UK Foreign Office in May 2025. It moved through the Channel after travelling from Venezuela and is now near the Russian city of St Petersburg.
Ship-tracking data shows the Sofos loaded oil in Russia in mid-November before travelling to Turkey and then to Venezuela, where it switched off its tracking signal. Satellite imagery later placed it at Venezuela's Jose oil terminal on 22 and 23 December, before its signal reappeared outside the country's waters on 26 December.
The Nasledie, a tanker which is more than 20 years old, also entered the Channel in January. The ship was sanctioned by the UK in May 2025 and has been part of the shadow fleet since 2023. The vessel left Russia in late December and soon after the UK’s legal advice was reported, it entered the Channel carrying about 100,000 tonnes of Urals crude, Russia's flagship oil grade.
The shadow fleet has helped Russia mitigate the impact of an embargo on its oil exports imposed since 2022 and has helped prop up an economy battered by Western sanctions.
In January, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper stated the British government was ready to tighten the chokehold on Russia and take new assertive actions against shadow fleet vessels, following legal advice that troops could board and seize tankers under the Sanctions and Money Act 2018. However, no independent seizures of shadow fleet vessels have occurred by British troops so far.
Dame Emily Thornberry, chair of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee, expressed disappointment at the lack of interceptions, emphasizing the importance of enacting sanctions effectively to support Ukraine. Mike Martin, a Liberal Democrat MP, criticized the UK for its reluctance to act independently given that the Royal Marines are well-equipped for such operations.
Simultaneously, Russia has shown signs of fortifying its shipping routes, with reports indicating that sanctioned tankers are being escorted through the Channel by Russian warships. The Ministry of Defence stated that deterring and disrupting the shadow fleet is a priority and they intend to escalate their response alongside allies.
Overall, as dozens of sanctioned tankers continue to traverse the Channel unimpeded, the UK faces growing scrutiny regarding the effectiveness of its sanctions initiative amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine.
