UK announces sweeping new sanctions package targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, military procurement networks and sanctions evasion schemes.
The UK has unveiled a significant new package of sanctions aimed at undermining Russia’s ability to sustain its illegal war in Ukraine, targeting key networks that support the Kremlin’s military and financial operations.
Announced during the G7 Summit, the measures impose 70 new sanctions against Russia’s ageing shadow fleet, military procurement channels and illicit financial networks used to circumvent existing restrictions.
The latest action comes amid continued Russian attacks on Ukraine that have killed civilians and damaged religious and cultural sites. In 2026 alone, the UK has sanctioned nearly 500 individuals, entities and vessels under its Russia sanctions regime, reaffirming its commitment to supporting Ukraine alongside international partners.
The new measures strike directly at Russia’s shadow fleet and the financial infrastructure used to evade Western sanctions and fund military procurement.
More than 20 oil tankers have been sanctioned using enhanced powers introduced last month, while further restrictions have been imposed on insurers and shipping service providers suspected of facilitating Russia’s illicit oil trade.
The UK has also become the first G7 nation to sanction several liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels acquired by Russia to support the sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project, which the Kremlin has used to generate revenue for its war effort.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:
“These sanctions target the vessels, the money and the actors propping up Russia’s war economy, and in turn, threatening European security.
Working with our G7 allies, we will continue to increase the pressure in Putin and his circle of collaborators until Russia’s war machine is brought to a halt and peace returns to our continent”.
Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said:
“As the Kremlin resorts to ever more shady tactics to sustain its war, from its ageing shadow fleet to covert finance networks, the UK remains one step ahead in shutting them down.
These sanctions strike at the heart of these murky efforts, to starve Putin’s war machine and defend Britain’s security.
Shoulder to shoulder with our G7 partners, the UK will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes”.
The UK will continue to expose and act against those suspected of enabling Russia’s shadow fleet. Existing sanctions have already significantly constrained Russia’s energy exports. In 2025, the Arctic LNG 2 terminal exported only 1.3 million tonnes of LNG despite having an annual capacity exceeding 13.5 million tonnes.
To date, the UK has sanctioned more than 600 shadow fleet and Russian LNG vessels.
The package also targets a Russian military intelligence (GRU) procurement network centred around the front company LLC Neptune Co Ltd, which is accused of covertly sourcing Western technology for Russia’s military.
Three companies and ten GRU officers have been sanctioned for their suspected involvement in acquiring critical military technology used to sustain Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.
Additional sanctions target third-country suppliers of military equipment to Russia in China, Thailand and Türkiye, as well as entities involved in facilitating sanctions evasion and illicit financial flows, including an organisation in Nigeria linked to the A7 network.
Meeting in Évian-les-Bains, G7 leaders are reaffirming their shared determination to confront what they view as the most significant threat to European and global security: Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine.
Today’s measures underscore the UK’s continued commitment to defending security in Ukraine, across Europe and at home by increasing pressure on Russia’s war economy. Photo by Norbert Aepli, Switzerland, Wikimedia commons.
