Nearly 100 Russian “shadow fleet” ships passed through UK waters after Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened to detain them

The number of Russian “shadow fleet” vessels passing through UK territorial waters has not changed since Prime Minister Keir Starmer authorized the British military in late March to detain them, according to a recent analysis by Reuters. At least 98 vessels under UK sanctions passed through British waters over the past month, roughly matching the figures for each of the previous three months.

LSEG tracking data showed that 63 vessels passed through the English Channel within 22 kilometers, or about 14 miles, of the coastline. Another 35 passed through Britain’s exclusive economic zone, which extends up to 370 kilometers, or about 230 miles, from the coast, mostly around northern Scotland.

About two weeks after Starmer’s announcement, The Telegraph reported that the Russian Black Sea Fleet frigate Admiral Grigorovich was escorting “shadow fleet” tankers through the English Channel.

Britain’s sanctions list includes 544 vessels linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which transports Russian oil in an effort to bypass Western sanctions.