EMEA News
UK Sanctions Nearly 100 Tankers Linked to Russian Shadow Fleet
The UK has unveiled its largest-ever sanctions package, targeting nearly 100 oil tankers linked to Russian shadow fleet, in a bid to choke off funding for the Kremlin's war in Ukraine and protect critical national infrastructure.
Unveiled by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit in Oslo, the new measures focus on vessels that have moved more than $24 billion in Russian oil since early 2024.
"The threat from Russia to our national security cannot be underestimated," Starmer said.
"We will do everything in our power to destroy his shadow fleet operation, starve his war machine of oil revenues and protect the subsea infrastructure that we rely on for our everyday lives."
Officials warned that the shadow fleet's ageing and uncertified tankers threaten UK and European subsea cables and pipelines, many of which carry 99% of global telecoms traffic and vital energy supplies, the UK government said.
The sanctions follow the UK-led activation of the Nordic Warden monitoring system in January, which tracks 22 maritime hotspots across the English Channel, North Sea and Baltic.
Alongside the vessel sanctions, individuals and entities behind the fleet are also being targeted, as the UK pushes to lead international efforts to isolate Russia's shadow oil trade and cut off a key source of funding for the war in Ukraine.
