The BBC Verify analysis has identified that a total of 42 tankers currently under government sanctions have traversed the English Channel since 11 January of the present year. The vessels—designated as being in breach of UK energy export restrictions—are specifically registered as Russian carriers and have navigated the waterway without reported incidents or intervention by local maritime authorities. The dataset compiled by Verify draws on official shipping registers and port entry logs, indicating that each entry was observed through satellite and radar intelligence systems that track vessel movement across international corridors. _2_ The United Kingdom government has publicly stated a commitment to enforce sanctions more assertively, especially against shipping routes that could supply sanctioned entities. In policy briefings, officials have reiterated the expectation that merchant vessels with provisional or denied registrations will face port inspection checks, and potentially interdiction, if they are found to be violating the embargoes set forth in recent legislative measures. The government’s stance underscores an intention to implement ’assertive action’ while maintaining adherence to international maritime law and the principle of free navigation. No interventional incidents have been reported, but the possibility remains that authorities will upgrade monitoring techniques, including the use of electronic registration verification and near‑shore surveillance. _3_ The confirmed passage of 42 sanctioned vessels presents a measurable instance of non‑compliance with current trade restrictions, signalling a persistent challenge for enforcement agencies tasked with upholding embargoes that extend beyond mere tariff adjustments. While the officially recorded crossings did not involve direct confrontation or incident‑related processing, the cumulative evidence suggests the need for revising inspection protocols and augmenting information‑sharing mechanisms across national borders that share the Channel. Overcoming such obstacles will require coordinated diplomatic dialogue and a pragmatic expansion of monitoring resources to ensure that future navigation complies fully with enacted sanctions. This situation illustrates the larger issue of enforcing trade restrictions within densely trafficked maritime corridors, a topic that continues to demand attention from policymakers and compliance professionals alike.