After British forces detained the Russian “shadow fleet” tanker Smyrtos (IMO 9389100) on June 14, use of the English Channel by sanctioned vessels fell by about 40%, according to a report by the open source intelligence (OSINT) project Russian Forces Spotter.
According to the project’s calculations, over the past month 75% of sanctioned vessels chose a longer route running north around Scotland between the Faroe and Shetland islands.
The Insider had also previously recorded route changes after the detention of the Smyrtos. According to an analysis of Starboard Maritime Intelligence data published June 26, at least 29 Russian “shadow fleet” tankers chose to bypass the UK and Ireland through the Atlantic in the two weeks following the British military operation.
The route through the English Channel, however, has not been abandoned entirely. During the period in question, 14 tankers facing UK, EU, or U.S. sanctions passed through the Channel.
