The British government has announced sanctions against 100 Russian oil tankers of the so-called "shadow fleet", which help Russia circumvent Western sanctions. This is reported by UNN with reference to the press release of the British government of May 9, the publication Bloomberg.
Details
It is noted that the British government is imposing sanctions on 100 oil tankers, which constitute the main part of Putin's shadow fleet and have transported cargo worth more than 24 billion dollars since the beginning of 2024.
Today, the Russian shadow fleet is subject to the largest sanctions package in history, which will increase pressure on Putin and protect critical national infrastructure in the UK and Europe
The British government believes that the operation of the shadow fleet, organized by Putin's close associates, not only finances the Kremlin's illegal war in Ukraine, but it is known that the decline of the fleet's ships is damaging critical national infrastructure due to reckless navigation in Europe.
According to Bloomberg, Russia has assembled a shadow fleet to continue transporting its oil while its war in Ukraine continues. But concerns have grown about the safety of these vessels and the risk that they will damage critical infrastructure such as underwater cables.
Every step we take to increase pressure on Russia and achieve a just and lasting peace in Ukraine is another step towards the security and prosperity of Great Britain
London stressed that the goal is not only to stop the activities of these vessels, but also to hold accountable the individuals and entities behind the organization of "shadow fleet" transportation.
Putin uses the shadow fleet to maintain his oil revenues and support the Russian oil industry. Thanks to Western sanctions, Russia's profits from oil and gas sales are decreasing every year - since 2022, they have fallen by more than a third. Sanctions and the costs of the barbaric war are slowing down the economy: the welfare fund is depleted, inflation is rising, and spending on defense and security is growing uncontrollably
Great Britain has imposed sanctions against more "shadow fleet" vessels than any other country. In total, 133 tankers are already under sanctions, some of which are also subject to restrictions from other countries.
The threat to our national security from Russia cannot be underestimated, so we will do everything in our power to disrupt the activities of its shadow fleet, deprive its military machine of oil revenues and protect the underwater infrastructure on which we depend in our daily lives
At the same time, according to Bloomberg, 39 of the 41 vessels recently sanctioned only in the United Kingdom are still transporting Russian oil.
Let's remind
EU Foreign Minister Kaya Kallas said that the 17th package of sanctions against Russia will be ready for approval at the next EU Foreign Affairs Council. The European Commission has already sent the draft to European capitals.
Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated that Estonia will continue to cooperate with the countries of the Baltic and North Seas. This will ensure the protection of the environment, the safety of maritime and underwater infrastructure. It will also guarantee that the country will be able to stop ships of the Russian "shadow fleet".