Russian Warship Escorts Sanctioned Oil Tankers Through English Channel

A Russian Navy warship has openly escorted sanctioned oil tankers through European waters and the English Channel, marking a rare and provocative move amid ongoing efforts to enforce sanctions.

Analyst Mark Douglas, who tracks maritime activity using AIS transponder data, reported that on June 16, the Russian corvette ‘Boykiy’ (hull number 532) met the oil tanker ‘Sierra’ in the Mediterranean Sea. Sierra is subject to sanctions imposed by the UK and the EU.

The corvette escorted the tanker through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Atlantic, where they were joined by a second sanctioned tanker, ‘Selva’, which sails under the flag of Palau.

The two tankers, under Russian naval escort, proceeded together through the English Channel and into the North Sea in a transit that lasted three days.

Douglas noted that the operation represented an open demonstration of Russian military support for its ‘shadow fleet’ — a network of commercial vessels used to evade international sanctions on oil exports and other restricted goods. He characterized it as a test of Western resolve to enforce sanctions and confront potential escalation.

Russia’s shadow fleet typically includes tankers and cargo ships operating under false flags or obscure ownership structures, often without insurance or proper classification.

The incident follows earlier reports of similar naval activity in the Baltic Sea. On May 14, Estonia attempted to intercept the tanker ‘Jaguar’, sailing under the Gabonese flag, in the international waters of the Gulf of Finland as it headed toward the Russian port of Primorsk.

Estonia deployed a patrol boat, an M28 Skytruck surveillance aircraft, and an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter. In response, Russia scrambled a Su-35S fighter jet to cover the vessel. Jaguar ignored orders to alter course and eventually anchored near Gogland Island in the eastern Baltic.

Portuguese F-16 fighter jets stationed at Ämari Air Base, part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, were also mobilized in response to the standoff.

Earlier this year, Finnish Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen warned that Russian naval escorts of shadow fleet tankers in the Gulf of Finland could become routine, complicating efforts to monitor and enforce sanctions in the region.