Putin has sent 300 tankers through the Channel under UK’s nose this year

Vessels tied to Vladimir Putin’s so-called “shadow fleet” are continuing to pass through UK waters with striking regularity, exposing the weakness in Downing Street’s rhetoric and revealing a sophisticated network designed to keep oil, parts and supplies flowing despite Western restrictions. More than 300 sanctioned or suspect Russian-linked ships have transited the English Channel in recent months. At the time of publishing, a sanctioned Russian tanker was making its fourth pass through the Channel, having regularly visited a key Egyptian port for the Shadow Fleet – enabling a network of ship-to-ship transfers and clandestine trade. An analysis of these tankers […]