This Is Why Why isn’t the UK stopping Putin’s shadow fleet?
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Feb 25, 2026 Paul Kelso, Sky News business correspondent covering energy and shipping, recounts trailing sanctioned Russian oil tankers through the English Channel. He describes seeing vessels off Dover. He outlines flag and ownership tricks, how journeys are tracked, and why the Channel transits matter for Russian revenue. He also maps the UK's bureaucratic response and legal hurdles around seizing ships.
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Shadow Fleet Regularly Passes Dover
- Dozens of sanctioned tankers transit the English Channel monthly, visible via public transponder data and sometimes tracked by journalists.
- Paul Kelso watched three huge tankers, including a 270m Suezmax carrying about a million barrels valued at ~$56m that day.
Flag Changes Help Mask Russian Ownership
- Shadow Fleet vessels use flags of convenience and routine flag changes to mask ownership and destination.
- Kelso noted the Hyperion switched flags, briefly used a Russian flag, and is 80% state-linked via its owner.
Tracking Tankers With Public Transponder Data
- Journalists used publicly available transponder services to predict and intercept tankers in the Channel.
- Kelso described how ships can switch off transponders, spoof locations, or swap signals to hide ship-to-ship transfers.