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The new measures target up to 100 oil tankers that the West claims are part of a Russian “shadow fleet”
The UK government has announced what it calls its “largest-ever” sanctions package against Russia, according to an official statement. The aim is to damage Russia’s oil transportation network and reduce its energy income.
The timing of the announcement coincides with Russia’s celebration of the 80th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany on Friday.
London, a strong supporter of Kiev providing military, tactical, and financial aid, has long maintained that Moscow is a threat to the UK’s national security. Since the Ukraine conflict escalated three years ago, successive British governments have imposed over 2,000 sanctions on Russian individuals and entities.
“The threat Russia poses to our national security cannot be underestimated. To ramp up the pressure on Putin, I’m announcing the largest package of sanctions yet,” Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated on X.
The new sanctions target up to 100 oil tankers that the West alleges are part of a Russian “shadow fleet,” which consists of older vessels operating outside Western insurance systems. London claims these vessels have carried over $24 billion worth of cargo since the beginning of 2024. The EU and the US have also targeted Russian shipping, and a 17th European sanctions package, expected to blacklist another 150 ships, is anticipated later this month.
Moscow has dismissed the restrictions as a “futile” gesture that will not hurt the Russian economy but instead increase energy costs and inflation in Europe. Russia’s oil revenues have remained strong due to buyers in countries such as China and India. Last month, the Russian Embassy in London urged the British government to cease what it described as “theatrical and short-lived gestures of hostility towards Russia.”
The UK has also accused these vessels of threatening critical undersea infrastructure like telecommunications cables and oil and gas pipelines, an accusation Moscow dismisses as “hastily concocted fantasy stories.”
London’s strong sanctions stance comes as Britain, along with the EU, is being excluded from the Ukraine peace process.
A key London meeting on the conflict was downgraded last month after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio canceled his attendance. US President Donald Trump has also suggested potentially easing some restrictions on Moscow as part of a possible peace agreement.