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Shadow tankers operated by Russia carrying millions of dollars in sanctioned oil are reportedly transiting the English Channel, raising warnings of a possible military confrontation in NATO waters.
The moves came amid rising tensions between Russia and NATO, with the Royal Navy stepping up surveillance of ships authorized by the United States and its allies in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.
A Russian-flagged oil tanker, Vladimir Monomakh, transits the Bosphorus in Istanbul, Türkiye. (Reuters/Yoruk Isik, file)
Sky News reported on Wednesday that up to 800 shadow tankers had passed through the canal and continue to fund Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine.
VesselFinder has tracked several tankers linked to Russia, including Rigel, Hyperion and Kousai, and they are known to be under Western sanctions.
The outlet reported that three of the vessels were monitored this month while transiting loaded with sanctioned crude oil.
The Rigel, an 885-foot Suezmax-class tanker sailing under the Cameroonian flag, set sail from the Russian port of Primorsk on February 2 with up to one million barrels of oil, cargo valued at around $55 million.
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The French navy diverts a suspected oil tanker from the Russian shadow fleet to the port of Marseille-Fos. (Reuters/Manón Cruz)
Sanctioned by the UK, EU and Canada, it is banned from using port facilities in those jurisdictions but is still allowed “innocent passage” under maritime law.
The Kousai, which sails under the flag of Sierra Leone, left Ust-Luga on February 2 and was warned by authorities to provide proof of insurance within 24 hours.
The Hyperion, also sanctioned by the United States, reportedly changed flag after delivering oil to Venezuela, to hide its ownership and evade law enforcement.
Security experts have warned of a heightened risk of geopolitical escalation in the region.
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Hundreds of shadow tankers have traversed the English Channel and European waterways and continue to finance Russian President Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. (Kremlin Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
]Professor Michael Clarke told Sky News that there may come a time when Britain and its allies “get much tougher on these Russian ships”, adding that a “militarized confrontation at sea” this year is a real possibility, in the English Channel or the North Sea.
A UK MoD spokesperson said: “Deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority for this government.
“Together with our allies, we are stepping up our response to shadow vessels and, as set out by the Secretary of State, we will continue to do so,” the spokesperson said.
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The Ministry of Defense said it has requested insurance tests for more than 600 suspicious vessels since October 2024.
The United States has also taken a tough stance, seizing at least seven tankers linked to the sanctioned oil trade since December 2025, including several in the Caribbean.
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