Dozens of sanctioned tankers pass through English Channel despite UK pledge to take action

Dozens of sanctioned tankers pass through English Channel despite UK pledge to take “strong” action.

Dozens of oil tankers under UK sanctions have passed through the English Channel this month, the BBC has reported.

The BBC reported that the UK government received legal assurances earlier this month that such vessels could be detained. However, 42 sanctioned tankers tracked by BBC Verify while passing through the English Channel passed through the strait after receiving this information.

Among them was the Sofos, a tanker sanctioned by the UK Foreign Office in May 2025. It passed through the English Channel after travelling from Venezuela and is now near the Russian city of St Petersburg.

Ship tracking data shows that the Sofos loaded oil in Russia in mid-November, then sailed to Turkey and then on to Venezuela, where it switched off its tracking signal. Satellite images later showed it was at the Jose oil terminal in Venezuela on December 22 and 23 before its signal reappeared outside the country’s waters on December 26.

The tanker Nasledie, which is more than 20 years old, also entered the English Channel in January. The vessel was sanctioned by the UK in May 2025 and, according to Anna Zhminko, an analyst at maritime intelligence firm Vortexa, it has been part of the “shadow fleet” since 2023.

In January, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK government was ready to “increase pressure” on Russia and take new “decisive measures” against the “shadow fleet” vessels. Her comments came after officials were told troops could legally board and seize tankers.

While the UK helped US forces seize a tanker near Iceland in early January and France in the Mediterranean on Thursday, British forces have yet to seize a single “shadow fleet” vessel on their own.

It comes as BBC Verify has identified six tankers operating in the English Channel under false flags since early January. This means the vessels are not actually registered in those states. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, such tankers can be seized as “stateless” vessels.

USM previously reported that Zelenskyy had urged Europe not to release detained “shadow fleet” tankers.