U.K. Sanctions 135 Tankers in Sweeping Crackdown on Russia’s Shadow Fleet

The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on 137 targets linked to Russia’s energy sector, including 135 oil tankers operating as part of Putin’s shadow fleet, in one of its most extensive maritime sanctions actions to date.

The sanctions, announced on July 21, 2025, specifically target vessels responsible for illicitly carrying $24 billion worth of cargo since the beginning of 2024. This action coincides with the UK and EU lowering the Crude Oil Price Cap, further restricting Russia’s ability to profit from oil sales.

Among the entities sanctioned are INTERSHIPPING SERVICES LLC, responsible for registering shadow fleet vessels under Gabonese flags, and LITASCO MIDDLE EAST DMCC, a Lukoil-linked company involved in moving large volumes of Russian oil.

“New sanctions will further dismantle Putin’s shadow fleet and drain Russia’s war chest of its critical oil revenues,” said Foreign Secretary David Lammy. ”As Putin continues to stall and delay on serious peace talks, we will not stand idly by. We will continue to use the full might of our sanctions regime to ratchet up economic pressure at every turn and stand side by side with Ukraine.”

Western sanctions have already had a measurable impact on Russia’s economy, with oil and gas revenues falling every year since 2022 – losing over a third of their value in three years, according to the UK. The Russian economy shows signs of strain with a hollowed-out wealth fund, rising inflation, and spiraling government spending on defense and security.

UK officials describe the ongoing sanctions effort as “another step towards securing a lasting peace in Ukraine, and a step towards security in the UK and beyond”.

This action follows the European Union’s recent adoption of its 18th sanctions package against Russia last week, which included port access bans for 105 additional vessels, bringing the total of EU-listed vessels to 444.

The EU has also lowered its price cap for Russian crude oil from $60 to $47.6 per barrel and introduced an automatic mechanism to align the cap with global oil prices. Additionally, it has imposed a full transaction ban on the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.

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