UK tightens grip on Russian "shadow fleet" with new sanctions
The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on Wednesday on an additional 10 ships belonging to the Russian "shadow fleet," which are vessels used to circumvent the embargo on Russian oil trade imposed by Western countries following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The communication issued by the British government emphasized that exporting oil is the most important source of revenue for Vladimir Putin's regime to finance the illegal war in Ukraine, accounting for about one-fourth of the Russian budget in 2023.
"Shadow fleet" sanctions on more ships
It was explained that all the sanctioned ships violated the embargo on a large scale. For example, only three of them—Nikolai Zuev, NS Asia, and Zaliw Aniwa—have transported Russian oil worth over $5 billion since the full-scale invasion began.
Ships placed on the sanctions list will not be able to enter British ports and will not be registered in the British ship registry. If they are, they will be removed from it and may be directed to British ports for detention.
"Today’s sanctions further undermine Russia’s ability to trade in oil via its shadow fleet. Alongside our partners, we will continue to send a stark message to Russia that the international community stands with Ukraine and we will not tolerate this illicit fleet," declared British Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
They want Putin's investment to be a "costly mistake"
"Russia has been forced to spend over $8 billion amassing this shadow fleet. But with sanctioned tankers loitering and unable to load oil, we are determined to make Putin’s investment an expensive misstep for the Kremlin. Our action will help to counter Russian attempts to undermine and dodge economic sanctions," he added.
The issued communication reported that the number of Russian "shadow fleet" ships sanctioned has increased to 25 and emphasized that previous sanctions have significantly hindered their operation, preventing these ships from transporting oil.
