The UK has launched its most significant sanctions to date against Russia’s "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, striking at the core of the revenue streams funding President Putin's war effort.
In the latest move, sanctions have been imposed on 18 Russian oil tankers and 4 liquified natural gas (LNG) carriers, marking the largest action yet taken against this covert fleet.
This forms part of Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s ongoing mission to combat Russia’s harmful activities. The sanctions will block these 18 vessels from accessing UK ports and prohibit their use of British maritime services, bringing the total number of sanctioned oil tankers to 43. The shadow fleet has been undermining existing sanctions, posing risks to the environment through potential oil spills and threatening the security of global trade.
During the European Political Community Summit in July, Prime Minister Keir Starmer launched a call to action against the shadow fleet. Today, the US and Canada have joined 44 European countries and the European Union in addressing the dangers posed by these covert operations.
The UK’s actions are having a significant impact, starving Russia's war effort of vital funds. The tankers targeted by today's sanctions have transported around $4.9 billion in oil over the past year. Many of these vessels have been left stranded, idling near ports around the world, unable to offload their cargo and generate revenue for Putin’s regime. Sovcomflot, Russia's largest shipping company, is reportedly scrambling to rename and sell its ships to avoid UK sanctions. The new sanctions target more of Sovcomflot's vessels, tightening the economic pressure on Russia.
In addition to targeting the shadow fleet, the UK has sanctioned four more LNG carriers and the Russian gas company Rusgazdobycha JSC, as part of efforts to cripple Russia’s energy sector. Gazprom, the Russian gas giant, reported a $6.9 billion loss in 2023—its first loss in over two decades.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy emphasized the UK's commitment to disrupting Russia’s harmful activities, including its shadow fleet, cyberattacks, and military actions in Ukraine. He underscored the importance of these sanctions in protecting Europe’s coastlines and global trade.
This new wave of sanctions follows the UK's recent actions against Russian cybercrime group Evil Corp and Russian troops using chemical weapons in Ukraine. The UK remains committed to targeting various aspects of Russia’s malign behavior and upholding global security and the rule of law.
Background Information
The following vessels have been sanctioned:
NS BORA (IMO 9412335)
ATLAS (IMO 9413573)
MOSKOVSKY PROSPECT (IMO 9511521)
NS ARCTIC (IMO 9413547)
CALLISTO (IMO 9299692)
SCF BAIKAL (IMO 9422457)
SCF SAMOTLOR (IMO 9421972)
SUVOROVSKY PROSPECT (IMO 9522324)
EASTERN PEARL (IMO 9285859)
KUDOS STARS (IMO 9288710)
SEA FIDELITY (IMO 9285835)
STRATOS AURORA (IMO 9288708)
TURBO VOYAGER (IMO 9299898)
AZURE CELESTE (IMO 9288722)
VARUNA (IMO 9332810)
SAI BABA (IMO 9321691)
ARTEMIS (IMO 9317949)
ANTAEUS (IMO 9299733)
MARSHAL VASILEVSKIY (IMO 9778313)
VELIKIY NOVGOROD (IMO 9630004)
MULAN (IMO 9864837)
EVEREST ENERGY (IMO 9243148)
RUSGAZDOBYCHA JSC
The UK is also working with its Department for Transport, the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC), and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) to challenge shadow fleet vessels passing through the English Channel with suspected questionable insurance coverage.
Any entity that assists in facilitating Russia’s harmful activities risks exposure to sanctions, with strict prohibitions already in place on Russian oil and vessels under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. Photo by UK Government, Wikimedia commons.