Shadow Fleet Continues to Operate Undetected in UK Waters
Ships linked to Vladimir Putin‘s illicit “shadow fleet” are continuing to pass through UK waters with striking regularity, revealing a sophisticated network designed to keep oil, parts, and supplies flowing despite Western sanctions.
More than 300 sanctioned or suspect Russian-linked ships have transited the English Channel in recent months. One sanctioned Russian tanker was making its fourth journey through the Channel on Friday, having regularly visited a key Egyptian port for the shadow fleet – enabling a network of ship-to-ship transfers and clandestine trade.
The frequency by which Russia is able to sail its tankers through UK waters without challenge exposes weaknesses in No 10’s threats to seize ships that evade sanctions to trade oil and fund Moscow’s war with Ukraine. An analysis of these tankers by The i Paper shows how they continue to move freely across the world, enjoying anchorage in friendly ports and delivering illicit oil to the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Shadow Fleet’s Sophisticated Network
Many of the ships are officially sanctioned by the UK Foreign Office. Yet they continue to move freely past the UK, engaging in practices designed to obscure the origin and destination of their cargo. The shadow fleet has become a lifeline for Putin’s war effort, with ships sailing under false flags in order to evade blockades and continue to make money from sanctioned oil.
Emma Salisbury, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said the shadow fleet has roughly tripled in size over the last few years. “This brings billions of dollars a year into the Kremlin’s coffers, propping up the Russian economy and supporting the war in Ukraine,” she said. “Without the money flowing in from the shadow fleet, the Russian military would be seriously hampered in both buying equipment and paying personnel.”
Ship-to-Ship Transfers: A Key Component of the Shadow Fleet
This week a sanctioned Russian tanker was escorted past the English coast by a Kremlin warship while carrying oil, supplies, and spare parts for Putin’s war machine. Its route to get there revealed much more. The Universal left Russia at the end of March, before picking up a Kremlin warship escort in the Baltic Sea on 2 April. The ship had been returning home after conducting a ship-to-ship transfer in the Strait of Hormuz.
Ship-to-ship transfers involve two ships drifting alongside each other to transfer their cargo. The Universal had conducted such a transfer with Jupiter, another sanctioned Russian vessel also seen in the Channel earlier this year. These transfers make it significantly harder for authorities to trace where the oil originated or where it is ultimately sold.
Port Said: A Key Hub for the Shadow Fleet
The Russian-flagged Ligovsky Prospect was traversing the Channel for the fourth time this year, having previously made the round trip to Port Said and back. Data suggest the port has effectively become a logistical hub for the shadow fleet. Around 20 sanctioned vessels that passed through the Channel this year went on to call at Port Said, often lingering for extended periods.
Analysis found that 42 sanctioned tankers are parked long-term at the port, conducting ship-to-ship transfers, waiting for instructions, or changing their name and flag. Several vessels identified by this paper made the 7,000km journey to the port, only to linger there, turn around, and head back home via the Channel.
The frequency with which Russia is able to sail its tankers through UK waters without challenge exposes weaknesses in No 10’s threats to seize ships that evade sanctions to trade oil and fund Moscow’s war with Ukraine.
Original Article: Putin has sent 300 tankers through the Channel under UK’s nose this year — Co