Two Sanctioned Russian Shadow Fleet Tankers Spotted Crossing UK Waters
Two crude oil tankers, part of Russia's shadow fleet and under UK sanctions, were detected transiting through British waters in the North Atlantic Ocean on Monday morning. The vessels, identified as AURA 1 and INA, were observed moving in opposite directions near the Hebrides, approximately 60 kilometres apart, according to MarineTraffic data.
Details of the Tankers' Movements
AURA 1, flying under a Panamanian flag, departed from Russia's Ust-Luga cargo port on 9 April. It entered British parts of the North Sea on Saturday before 3pm, navigating through the Scottish isles en route to Port Said, Egypt. This tanker was sanctioned by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) on 24 February.
INA, currently flying under a Cameroonian flag, entered British waters on Sunday just before 5pm. It had left Port Said at the end of March, travelling in the opposite direction. The FCDO sanctioned this vessel in May last year.
Evasion Practices and Government Response
Both tankers have a history of engaging in high-risk evasion tactics, including AIS gaps where transmitters are switched off and ship-to-ship transfers conducted at night or in areas linked to illicit activities. These practices are commonly used to circumvent UK financial sanctions.
Defence Secretary John Healey issued a stern warning to Russian President Vladimir Putin, stating, "We see your activity over our cables and our pipelines, and you should know that any attempt to damage them will not be tolerated and will have serious consequences." This follows the declassification of reports last Thursday revealing that the UK tracked three Russian submarines loitering over critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic for a month.
Broader Crackdown on Shadow Fleet Activity
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced last month that British commandos are authorised to board and halt Moscow's shadow fleet vessels ferrying oil to support the war in Ukraine through UK waters. However, no vessels have been seized to date.
More than 120 sanctioned vessels have sailed through British waters since the government's crackdown was announced, as reported by The i on Sunday. In a related incident, a Black Sea fleet frigate, Admiral Grigorovich, accompanied two shadow fleet vessels along England's southern coast on Wednesday, with British tanker RFA Tideforce following behind.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard commented that Russian warships escorting shadow fleet vessels "shows how vulnerable they now are" after the UK authorised the Royal Navy to board and interdict sanctioned ships in British waters.
Official Statements and Operational Secrecy
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson emphasised the UK's ongoing efforts, stating, "The UK is disrupting and deterring shadow fleet vessels and their harmful maritime activity, and since October 2024 we have challenged over 700 suspected shadow fleet vessels." The spokesperson added that the government will not comment on specific operational planning to avoid compromising actions against these ships, noting that any target ship is individually assessed by law enforcement, military, and energy market specialists before operations are executed.
