Putin’s Shadow Fleet Cruises Through British Waters: Russian Oil Tankers Defy Western Sanctions in English Channel
Russia’s shadow tankers are brazenly cruising through the English Channel, with defence experts warning there could be a military confrontation near Britain’s shores as soon as this year.
Often described as a ‘clandestine’ network, Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ are in fact hiding in plain sight as they ferry millions of barrels of oil through the world’s busiest shipping route in defiance of Western sanctions, embargoes and price caps. Dozens of these ships pass through the Dover Strait every month, part of a ‘shadow fleet’ of up to 800 vessels that continue to fuel Vladimir Putin’s four-year war on Ukraine.
UK Government Announces Sanctions Package Against Russia
Just this week, the UK Government announced its biggest sanctions package against Russia in a bid to cut off critical oil revenues and degrade the Kremlin’s ability to wage its illegal war. Experts say over 60 per cent of Russian crude is being exported on the shadow fleet – but the Ministry of Defence insists that ‘deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority’.
Security Experts Warn of Escalating Tensions
Security experts have warned that escalating tensions could lead to clashes at sea, right on the doorstep of Britain’s shores. Professor Michael Clarke, a defence analyst, told Sky News: ‘There must come a point at which Britain and its allies – the Dutch, Danes, and Norwegians and the sea-going nations of Northern Europe – they together will get much tougher with these Russian ships, even if they’re escorted. When that happens, we’re heading probably sometime this year for some sort of militarised confrontation at sea possibly in the Channel or the North Sea, somewhere certainly near to British coast.’
Tracking Shadow Fleet Tankers
This month, Sky tracked three shadow tankers loaded with oil as they traversed through the English Channel. This included the Rigel, a 270-metre Suezmax-class tanker, which has a capacity of one million barrels. Its cargo of oil, which was loaded on February 2 at the Russian port of Primorsk, is worth around $55million (£40.7m). Sailing under a Cameroon flag, it is sanctioned by the UK, EU and Canada among others.
A second tanker, the Kousai, left Ust-Luga, near the Estonia border, on the same day as the Rigel. Flying under a Sierra Leone flag, the captain was warned by the Coastguard that it must email its proof of insurance to a Government email address within 24 hours. Insurance cover is often unclear and there are fears these old shipping vessels could spark a disaster in the sea.
The MoD says it has requested insurance documents from more than 600 vessels and that ‘deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet is a priority’.
Original Article: Putin’s shadow fleet cruise through British waters: How tankers loaded with Russian oil are openly defying Western sanctions in English Channel — Co