The United Kingdom has unleashed its strongest sanctions yet against Russia’s clandestine fleet of oil tankers, dubbed the “shadow fleet,” in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
This latest crackdown bars 18 vessels from entering UK ports and accessing British maritime services, bringing the total number of sanctioned ships to 43.
The shadow fleet, operating under opaque ownership and without proper insurance, has enabled the Kremlin to continue exporting oil despite Western sanctions and a price cap on global sales. However, experts warn that this ghost fleet poses significant environmental risks due to its disregard for basic safety standards.
“I have made it my personal mission to constrain the Kremlin, tightening the net around Putin and his mafia state using every tool at my disposal,” said Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) noted that these sanctions are “starving Putin’s war machine of crucial revenues.” A significant number of targeted ships have been forced to remain idle outside ports, unable to contribute to Putin’s war efforts.
Despite these efforts, a report by the Kyiv School of Economics found that Russian oil exports via shadow tankers have nearly doubled to 4.1 million barrels per day. Western sanctions have had limited effect, with 70% of Russian oil exports by sea conducted using ghost tankers.
The new sanctions package targets vessels owned by Sovcomflot, Russia’s largest shipping company, as well as four LNG tankers and the Russian gas company Rusgazdobycha JSC. The UK’s actions demonstrate its commitment to combating Russia’s malign activities and supporting Ukraine.
