UK imposes sanctions on 10 more Russian "shadow fleet" tankers

The UK government has sanctioned 10 vessels in Russia’s "shadow fleet," a group of ships that use illicit practices to avoid sanctions on Russian oil, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said in a statement published on Wednesday, September 11.

The FCDO said the action will directly target vessels in the "shadow fleet," which it claims is being used by Russia as a "desperate attempt" to undermine UK and G7 sanctions and continue unfettered trade in Russian oil.

The office added that oil exports are Russia's most critical revenue source for funding President Vladimir Putin's "illegal war" in Ukraine, accounting for roughly a quarter of the Russian budget in 2023.

The ships targeted are all "high-volume offenders" – vessels operating around the clock to transport as much Russian oil as possible. These ships will now be barred from entering UK ports and will be refused access to the UK Ship Register.

Just three of the vessels targeted this week have collectively carried more than US$5 billion worth of Russian oil since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

The FCDO said previous UK action against individual shadow ships have left vessels materially disrupted, with the vast majority of them idling outside ports, and unable to carry on their trade in Russian oil.

Wednesday’s announcement brings the total number of shadow fleet ships specified to 25 and follows the UK’s "call to action" in July, which aims to bring a halt to the trade.