Russian warship escorts sanctioned “shadow fleet” tankers through the English Channel

For the first time, a Russian warship has openly escorted “shadow fleet” tankers through European waters. The unprecedented operation in the English Channel marks a significant development in Russia's efforts to shield its oil trade from international sanctions — now using military force.

The escort was first reported by Mark Douglas, a maritime domain awareness analyst at New Zealand-based Starboard Maritime Intelligence. Douglas spoke with the All Exclusive project, explaining that automatic identification system (AIS) data revealed coordinated movements between three vessels starting June 16.

The ships involved in the operation were: the Steregushchiy-class corvette Boikiy; the tanker Selva (also known under the aliases Nostos and Naxos), which is sanctioned by the UK; and the tanker Sierra (also known as the Suvorovskiy Prospekt), which is under both UK and EU sanctions.

“Their movements suggest deliberate timing to allow all three vessels to transit simultaneously, en route to load oil in Russia,” Douglas wrote.

AIS data initially indicated that the Selva was sailing under the Panamanian flag. New information from S&P suggests the vessel has since reflagged and is now operating under the flag of Palau.

Finland’s defense minister Antti Häkkänen had previously warned about such military escorts, calling them “unprecedented and aggressive.” As noted by Douglas, the move confirms that following increased boardings by Estonia and growing scrutiny from the EU, Moscow has now begun overtly protecting its “shadow fleet” using Russian naval forces.

The ships were first identified by open source intelligence (OSINT) experts including analyst Kristian Panton on the platform Bluesky. Starboard Maritime Intelligence continues to monitor these tankers and track changes in their behavior. According to Douglas, the operation serves as a test of the international community’s resolve in enforcing sanctions and its tolerance for escalation.

Just days earlier, The Insider reported that the Russian shadow fleet tanker Marathon (also known as Udaya) had departed the port of Primorsk and entered Germany’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), heading toward the Great Belt strait, which is part of Denmark’s EEZ. Danish maritime authorities stated they had contacted the ship’s crew but had been “misled” by their responses.

Another incident occurred on May 14 in the Gulf of Finland involving the Gabon-flagged civilian vessel Jaguar and the Estonian Navy. Reports said Estonian forces twice attempted to board the ship via helicopter, but Jaguar’s crew evaded interception by maneuvering and altering course, continuing on its way to Primorsk in Russia’s Leningrad Region. According to pro-Russian Telegram channels, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet was dispatched to escort the vessel into Russian waters.