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Russian 'shadow fleet' undeterred by Starmer's threat as nearly 100 ships cross UK waters

A Reuters analysis found no decline in transits after the boarding threat, while at least 10 ships were caught spoofing tracking systems.

  • On March 25, Prime Minister Keir Starmer threatened to authorize British military boardings of Russian 'shadow fleet' vessels, yet at least 98 sanctioned ships have since transited UK waters with no reported boardings or detentions.
  • London lists 544 vessels linked to the 'shadow fleet' on its sanctions list, with these ships regularly transiting the English Channel and Britain's Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
  • LSEG tracking data shows 63 ships passed within 12 nautical miles of the English Channel coastline, while 35 traveled through the Exclusive Economic Zone; at least 10 vessels engaged in 'spoofing' by manipulating their tracking systems.
  • Maritime security expert Elisabeth Braw warned that without follow-up boardings, vessels will conclude the threat was "an empty threat," while France, Belgium, and Sweden have detained such vessels in recent months, contrasting with UK inaction.
  • The Kremlin called Britain's policy a "deeply hostile move" that could draw retaliation, while the UK's naval capacity, smallest since the 17th century, faces competing demands from operations across eastern Europe, the Arctic, and the Middle East.
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Russian 'shadow fleet' undeterred by Starmer's threat as nearly 100 ships cross UK waters

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision last month to let the British ‌military board ships of Russia’s so‑called "shadow fleet" has had no clear impact on the number passing through UK waters, a Reuters analysis shows.

·United Kingdom
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Reuters broke the news in United Kingdom on Tuesday, April 28, 2026.
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