The UK and EU have announced major sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow fleet of oil tankers, marking an escalation in efforts to curtail Moscow’s maritime trade operations.
Marking its largest sanctions package against Russia since 2022, the UK has designated an additional 40 shadow fleet vessels that have transported over $5 billion worth of Russian oil and petroleum products in just the last six months. This action brings the total number of UK-sanctioned oil tankers in Russia’s shadow fleet to 133.
“Every military supply line disrupted, every rouble blocked, and every enabler of Putin’s aggression exposed is a step towards a just and lasting peace,” said UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
Simultaneously, the EU’s 16th sanctions package on Russia has designated 74 additional vessels involved in Russia’s shadow fleet operations, expanding their total sanctioned vessel count to 153. The new measures specifically target operators of unsafe oil tankers.
In a notable expansion of maritime restrictions, the EU has completely prohibited the temporary storage of Russian crude oil and petroleum products in EU ports, closing a significant loophole that previously allowed such activities under the price cap mechanism.
The sanctions extend beyond vessel designations to include critical infrastructure, with new restrictions targeting major Russian ports. The EU has imposed transaction bans on strategic facilities including the ports of Ust-Luga and Primorsk on the Baltic Sea and Novorossiysk on the Black Sea.
To combat sanctions evasion, both the UK and EU are implementing enhanced monitoring of third-country involvement. The measures specifically target entities facilitating Russia’s maritime trade operations, including those supporting the shadow fleet’s activities.
“Russia is actively attempting to circumvent sanctions,” the European Commission noted. “This is clear evidence that our measures are having an impact. This also calls for us to redouble our efforts in tackling circumvention and to ask certain third countries for closer cooperation.”
These comprehensive sanctions, coupled with broader restrictions on Russia’s energy sector, aim to significantly impact the Kremlin’s ability to fund its military operations through oil revenue, which remains the most vital source of funding for its campaign in Ukraine.
On January 10, former U.S. President Joe Biden designated 183 vessels associated with Russia’s shadow fleet, along with dozens of oil traders, oilfield service providers and insurance companies. However, President Donald Trump has not imposed new sanctions on Russia in response to its ongoing war in Ukraine.
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