Translated with AI
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is to announce the biggest ever sanctions package targeting Russia's shadow navy today, in a move that will increase pressure on Vladimir Putin and protect Britain's and Europe's critical national infrastructure, the government's website says.
According to a press release, Britain will add up to 100 tankers from the Russian shadow fleet to sanctions lists on Friday. It is noted that these tankers form the core of the Russian shadow fleet that exports oil and have transported $24 billion worth of oil since the beginning of 2024.
Starmer plans to announce the sanctions on May 9 at a summit of representatives of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in the Norwegian capital Oslo. The JEF includes 10 countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK.
It is noted that Britain has already imposed sanctions against several dozen tankers transporting Russian oil.
"The new package will mean the UK has imposed sanctions on more shadow fleet vessels than any other country," the statement said.
The British Prime Minister stressed that every step aimed at increasing pressure on Russia and achieving a fair and sustainable peace in Ukraine is a step towards security and prosperity in the UK.
"The threat to our national security from Russia cannot be underestimated, so we will do everything possible to destroy his (Putin's) shadow fleet, deprive his war machine of oil revenues, and protect the undersea infrastructure on which we rely for our daily lives," he said.
The British government also reminds that the tankers of the shadow fleet not only help Moscow to earn money for the war in Ukraine, but also damage underwater cables in Europe. The leaders of the countries participating in the Joint Expeditionary Force are going to discuss on Friday in Oslo, among other things, the protection of underwater infrastructure.
Sanctions against Russia
Moscow is known to use a "shadow fleet" of old and sometimes uninsured ships to circumvent sanctions and price caps imposed by the EU and its allies.
Earlier, the EU stated that the 17th sanctions package would include restrictions against the Russian shadow fleet and various other elements.
According to Bloomberg, the EU plans to tighten restrictions against Russia's "shadow oil fleet," and in particular, proposes adding 150 ships to the sanctions list. Sanctions will also be imposed against 60 individuals and legal entities.
