In the straits of the Channel a Russian warship was caught which used a fake ID to pass unnoticed while traveling with two oil tankers who have been subject to sanctions, According to a BBC Verify survey.

Specifically, Boikiy, a corvette armed with directed rockets, gave a fake recognition code as it crossed the Channel last Saturday. Corvette traveled along with two ships that are known to are part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” – A network of tanks whose property can be hidden and used for the transport of oil -subjects.

Experts told the BBC Verify that recent western movements against the shadow fleet may have prompted Moscow to use its army to protect the tankers.

It is recalled that last month, a Russian SU-35 fighter jet passed by a shadowy fleet ship and entered the Estonian airspace after the country attempted to stop the ship, which was suspected of transporting oil.

“The action seems to have been designed to prevent the United Kingdom and other NATO states from attempting to board and/or seize these ships, as the presence of military escort increases the risk of controversy and further escalation,” said Dmitry Greenburg.

The attention was first turned to Boikiy on social media by the independent Christian Panton open source analyst in Bluesky.

The ship is known to depart from West Africa in June, where it participated in a diplomatic mission. Photos posted online showed the ship anchored in the capital of Guinea, Kanana.

The corvette sailed from the port without activating the automatic recognition system (AIS).

A boat traveling with the 400000000 recognition number – a code sometimes used by boats that want to alert others to their presence for security reasons without identifying – was briefly close to the Canary Islands. The location is in accordance with the time it could take Boikiy to travel 200 kilometers from Kananni. Satellite images examined by the BBC Verify showed a 100 -meter -long ship that fits the dimensions of Boikiy.

Frederick Van Lockeren – Analyst and former Lieutenant of the Belgian Navy – noted that Boikiy’s actions were unusual for a Russian warship.

“Normally, if the Russians want to stay hidden, they just turn off the AIS signal,” he said. “So, camouflage as something else … is very, very unusual,” he said.

In the corvette Boikiy were later added two oil tankers – Sierra and Naxos – who had traveled from India through the Suez Canal and crossed the Mediterranean. Both ships have been subjected to sanctions from the United Kingdom.

All three boats went to the Baltic Sea, where Boikiy – still traveling with a fake AIS signal – was recorded under the Great Belt Bridge in Denmark.

It is not clear where the ships are heading, although the three boats seem to continue to sail in the Baltic and may move to ports in mainland Russia or Kaliningrad – a enclave between Poland and Lithuania.