A tanker from the Russian shadow fleet has made its way into the English Channel for the first time following the UK’s seizure of the Smyrtos on Sunday. Ship-tracking data reveals that the Russian-flagged vessel Forwarder entered the Channel on Wednesday afternoon after departing from Primorsk, Russia’s primary Baltic Sea port, loaded with oil. Satellite imagery cited by the BBC confirms this information.
Tracking data indicates that the Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Tyne is operating in the vicinity near the Forwarder’s location. Despite being sanctioned by the UK, the US, and the EU in 2025, the Russian tanker is indicating its final destination as Dongying port in China.
According to the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Russia’s extensive shadow fleet, consisting of over 700 vessels, serves as a crucial transport network for Moscow, handling 75% of its oil shipments and contributing to funding activities in Ukraine. This marks the first instance of a UK-sanctioned shadow fleet vessel passing through the English Channel since the interception of the Russian tanker Smyrtos by Royal Marines and National Crime Agency officers.
Following the successful UK-led operation to detain the Smyrtos, tracking data revealed that several sanctioned ships altered their courses to avoid the Channel. An MoD spokesperson declined to provide specific details on operational planning but emphasized the department’s commitment to taking action against such vessels effectively.
The captain of the Smyrtos, Ajay Pant, a 38-year-old Indian national, appeared in court charged with violating sanctions by transporting prohibited oil products from Russia to a third country in June 2026. Pant attended a preliminary hearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court via video link and confirmed his identity and address in India. His plea remains undisclosed, and his solicitor requested the case be transferred to the Crown Court.
District Judge David Robinson, presiding over the hearing via video link, forwarded the case to Bournemouth Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on July 16, while Pant was remanded in custody until then. The Smyrtos has been detained in the UK, with its crew of 24 members, hailing from Georgia and India, currently on board the vessel anchored off Weymouth in Dorset.
