Tankers of the “shadow fleet” began to avoid the English Channel after the vessel was detained by Britain
15.06.2026 - 11:30
After the tanker was detained in the English Channel, other vessels of the “shadow fleet” began to turn around and change routes.
This is evidenced by data from the maritime monitoring service Starboard Maritime Intelligence, which provided data to The Insider.
Thus, the tanker LION I under the flag of Cameroon, which was heading through the Mediterranean Sea towards the Atlantic, made a sharp U-turn before approaching the English Channel and headed towards Ireland. It is likely that it will bypass the islands through the North Atlantic. In AIS, its destination is indicated as FOR ORDERS (“await further orders”), which allows you to determine the final point of the voyage.
Another tanker — C VIKING under the flag of Sierra Leone — also unexpectedly changed route in the North Atlantic and headed towards Ireland. Similarly, FOR ORDERS is indicated instead of the destination.
Another vessel that changed course is SONA, also under the flag of Sierra Leone. According to ship tracking services, it was moving from the Gulf of Finland (probably the port of Vistino) towards Port Said, but deviated from the route to the English Channel.
The tanker MAINI under the flag of Cameroon also changed course. It was heading to the North Sea from Primorsk, with the destination indicated as Port Said (Egypt).
It should be noted that several ships against which US and EU sanctions have been imposed, but those flying the flag of Russia, and not of third-party jurisdictions, continue to sail through the English Channel. These include, for example, the tanker KRASNOYARSK and the cargo ship ADLER.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, in 2025, LION I participated in the export of Russian oil and oil products from the port of Primorsk. Since May 2025, the tanker has been owned and operated by Seychelles-registered Kario Maritime Inc, and its technical manager is the Chinese Mo Chou Hu Shipmanagement Co. The vessel is subject to sanctions by the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Ukraine.
The C VIKING was used to transport Russian oil from Russian ports, disabling AIS and performing ship-to-ship oil transfers. The tanker has also been reported to have visited the port of Komysh-Burun in occupied Crimea. The vessel is subject to sanctions by the UK, the EU, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, Ukraine and New Zealand.
The tanker SONA, according to Ukrainian intelligence, was involved in the export of Russian oil and petroleum products from ports in the Pacific region of Russia. The vessel is linked to the Indian company Galena Ship Management, affiliated with one of the largest operators of the Russian “shadow fleet” — Gatik Ship Management. SONA is subject to sanctions by the UK, EU, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Ukraine and New Zealand. In addition, in February 2026, Ukraine imposed sanctions on the ship’s captain.
According to the Defense Intelligence, the tanker MAINI is involved in the transportation of Russian oil in circumvention of Western restrictions and is associated with the Indian company Galena Ship Management, affiliated with one of the largest operators of the Russian “shadow fleet” Gatik Ship Management. The vessel was used to export Russian oil to third countries, in particular with the AIS system disabled. Greenpeace also attributes MAINI to the Russian “shadow fleet”. The tanker is subject to sanctions by the UK, EU, Switzerland, Canada, Australia and Ukraine.
The route changes took place shortly after the operation of the British military and officers of the National Crime Agency (NCA), who boarded the tanker SMYRTOS in the English Channel on the night of June 14. The vessel was detained and later transferred to an anchorage off the southern coast of England.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, SMYRTOS has been involved in the transportation of Russian oil and petroleum products since early 2025, mainly from the port of Kozmino in the Far East. The vessel is under sanctions by the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Canada and Ukraine.
The English Channel remains one of the key maritime corridors between the Baltic Sea and world markets. A significant part of the tankers transporting Russian oil from Baltic ports traditionally pass through this route. Any risks of detention or inspection could force the operators of the “shadow fleet” to seek longer and more expensive delivery routes.
