The tanker Forwarder (IMO: 9419448), which is under UK, U.S. EU, Canadian, Swiss, and Ukrainian sanctions, entered the English Channel under the Russian flag and is continuing its course south. It is the first known vessel from Russia’s “shadow fleet” to pass through the strait since British forces boarded and detained the tanker Smyrtos (IMO: 9389100) on June 14. The Insider reviewed the vessel’s draft data, which indicate it is loaded with cargo.
According to maritime tracking information from Starboard Maritime Intelligence, Forwarder is approaching the same area of the English Channel where Smyrtos was detained earlier this week. Published routes show the vessel traveling from the Baltic Sea through the North Sea toward the Atlantic.
The Insider found that a British patrol vessel was also monitoring Forwarder. Maritime tracking data showed the Royal Navy ship had been in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge, but after the tanker appeared near the entrance to the English Channel, it quickly closed the distance to the Russian vessel. The British ship was last following the Forwarder at a distance of about 4.3 nautical miles.
The Russian frigate Admiral Grigorovich is also known to be in the same area of the English Channel that Forwarder was passing. The frigate was previously seen escorting sanctioned “shadow fleet” tankers through the strait.
The frigate’s presence in the channel became known after an incident involving the British pleasure yacht Bright Future. According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the crew of the Admiral Grigorovich made several attempts to contact the yacht, which the ministry said was approaching the warship in a dangerous manner. After the distance narrowed to 150 meters, the Russian frigate fired warning shots.
Forwarder is sailing with a cargo of oil from the Russian port of Primorsk and lists the Chinese port of Dongying as its final destination. The tanker was previously known as Heng Tai.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the vessel took part in the shipment of Russian oil and petroleum products while the G7+ price cap mechanism was in effect. In June 2024, the tanker was involved in operations near Greece’s Gulf of Laconia, which is considered to be one of the main hubs for ship-to-ship transfers of Russian oil. The vessel is also reported to have called at Russian ports where oil has been traded above the price cap set by Western countries.
The tanker is linked to Hengtai Shipping Limited. In January 2025, the U.S. imposed sanctions on the company for operating in Russia’s energy sector and separately listed Forwarder as a vessel in which the company has a property interest.
The EU, Switzerland, the UK, Canada, and Ukraine later imposed sanctions on the tanker. In February 2026, Ukraine also imposed sanctions on the vessel’s captain.
The Forwarder’s appearance in the English Channel is notable due to the fact that several other tankers linked to Russia’s “shadow fleet” changed routes following the detention of the Smyrtos. The ships on that list include the Lion I (IMO: 9384069), C Viking (IMO: 9261657), Sona (IMO: 9428358), and Maini (IMO: 9319870).
The Smyrtos was detained overnight June 14 in an operation conducted by Royal Marines and officers from the country’s National Crime Agency (NCA). After British forces boarded the tanker, the vessel was taken under control and moved to an anchorage off England’s southern coast.
According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Smyrtos has been involved in transporting Russian oil and petroleum products since early 2025, mainly from the port of Kozmino in Russia’s Far East.
The English Channel remains one of the most important routes for Russian oil exports from Baltic ports. A significant share of tankers carrying Russian oil from Primorsk and Ust-Luga pass through the corridor. Any risk of detention, inspection, or other restrictive measures could increase shipping costs and force “shadow fleet” operators to use longer routes.
