UK sanctions Russian oil and LNG tankers

The UK government has sanctioned 18 oil tankers and four LNG tankers linked to Russia’s alleged shadow fleet, in a bid to curtail the country’s energy revenues.

PHOTO: A crude oil tanker in the sea at sunset. Getty Images

The 18 oil tankers sanctioned yesterday, including the NS BORA, ATLAS, MOSKOVSKY PROSPECT, have allegedly transported crude oil valued at about $4.9 billion in 2023, according to a statement by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.  

These vessels will be “barred from UK ports and unable to access world-leading British maritime services.”

In June, the previous UK government targeted vessels identified as part of Russia's shadow fleet, which were being used to circumvent sanctions imposed by the G7 countries.

This latest round of sanctions brings the total number of sanctioned oil tankers to 43. “The UK has today unleashed the largest package of sanctions to date against Putin's shadow fleet of oil tankers,” the statement read.

The country has also sanctioned four LNG tankers and the Russian gas company Rusgazdobycha JSC.

Growing Russian shadow fleet

A shadow fleet or a “dark fleet” primarily consists of older and environmentally hazardous vessels that intentionally evade regulations. These ships are said to operate under the radar, by sailing without insurance or disabling their tracking transmitters. Shadow fleet owners are infamous for the covert practice of forging documents to avoid industry standards.

Last year, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) highlighted the urgent need to tackle the rising use of shadow fleets for ship-to-ship (STS) transfers of Russian crude oil, warning that this practice heightens the risk of oil spills and collisions at sea.

With the mounting concerns over the use of shadow fleets to evade sanctions and undermine international protocols, it is evident that the problem persists despite calls from global agencies for stricter measures. The actual progress in cracking down on this issue remains somewhat unclear.

By Aparupa Mazumder

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