Russian shadow float continues to pass through British waters

Despite London's announcement of the possibility of retaining Russian tankers subject to sanctions, ships of the so-called "shadow floats" continue to pass through British territorial waters. According to the findings of the BBC Verify and Reuters, nearly 200 vessels connected to Russian oil trade have sailed through the British maritime zone since the end of March.

As we wrote earlier on pages of our portal, Russian warships appeared in the tankers' ace in the La Manche Canal and Dover Strait area. At the time, it was primarily a political signal and a show of presence. Today, it is clear that Moscow also checks the West's determination to enforce sanctions.

London announced action against the ships of the "shadow float"

At the end of March, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the possibility of retaining and carrying out controls on Russian tankers sanctioned by British waters. The powers were to be granted to the Royal Navy and British enforcement services.

The British government explained that it was about reducing Kremlin's income from oil exports and obstructing the so-called "shadow floats", i.e. networks of old tankers operating under convenient flags, often with unclear ownership structure and problems with insurance.

The problem is, after media announcements, there were no real unit detentions.

BBC and Reuters: ships continue to pass through British waters

According to analyses by BBC Verify and Reuters, since the announcement of new British activities by UK waters, over 200 vessels have been associated with Russian oil trade. Reuters previously reported nearly 100 such units as early as the first month after London's announcements.

Some tankers passed through the La Manche Canal, others appeared in the British exclusive economic zone in the North Sea. According to analysts, many of these units continue to disable or falsify the AIS signal, which makes it difficult to identify and track them on the cruise route.

At the same time, maritime law experts emphasise that the possibility of retaining such units is limited by international law. The very fact that the vessel is being taken over sanctions does not always give rise to its acquisition in international waters.

Russian tankers warships

However, the presence of Russian warships escorting merchant ships remains the most worrying element of the situation.

"The Guardian" revealed that Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich operated for many days near British waters, escorting Russian merchant ships and tankers passing through the La Manche Canal. Later appeared also the frigate Admiral Kasatonov.

This development of the phenomenon, about which the Shipyard Portal had already written on the occasion of Russian tankers escorts in Channel La Manche. At the time, it could still be interpreted as a show of strength and an attempt to deter. Today, it is increasingly clear that Russia is building a practical mechanism for protecting oil transport under sanctions.

The presence of a Russian warship radically changes the situation of any potential control. The stopping of a tanker shall cease to be a purely action towards a commercial unit. In practice, it represents a risk of a direct military incident.

Channel La Manche becomes an area of political pressure

The La Manche Canal and the Strait of Dover are among the world's most laden shipping routes. Hundreds of ships carrying fuel, containers and strategic loads for the European economy pass through every day.

Russian action shows that Moscow is increasingly using maritime trade as a tool for political pressure and testing the limits of NATO states' response.

Data on tankers coincide with the growing import of Russian LNG into the European Union. According to the latest IEEFA report, imports of Russian liquefied gas into the EU were highest in the first quarter of 2026 since 2022. France, Spain and Belgium remain the largest importers. This shows that despite sanctions and political declarations, Europe remains partly dependent on Russian raw materials transported by sea.

It is also another warning signal for Europe on maritime safety and security Marine critical infrastructure. Especially at a time when the Baltic, North Sea and the La Manche Canal become an area of ever-increasing political, intelligence and military rivalry.