The UK government is preparing an unprecedented sanctions strike against Russia’s “shadow fleet” – dozens of tankers that allow the Kremlin to circumvent oil restrictions and finance its war against Ukraine. This is reported on the official website of the British government.
The new package covers 100 vessels that have transported more than $24 billion worth of Russian oil since the beginning of 2024. These are the most extensive sanctions in the history of the UK and are intended to target:
- to cut off the sources of income of the Russian military machine;
- to secure Europe’s critical infrastructure;
- reduce the risks of environmental disasters associated with the activities of the shadow fleet.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer stressed that Russia poses a real threat to Britain’s national security:
“We will do everything we can to destroy Putin’s shadowy fleet, deprive him of his oil profits and protect the undersea infrastructure we rely on every day.”
London notes that since the start of sanctions in 2022, Russia’s energy revenues have fallen by a third, its reserves are dwindling, inflation is rising, and the Kremlin’s war spending is breaking records.
