The British government has announced a new package of sanctions targeting Russian banks, oil tankers and industrial companies as part of its continuing effort to restrict the revenues and supplies supporting Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The measures include 13 new designations and six additional specifications under the United Kingdom’s Russia sanctions regime. The package covers six Russian banks and six recently acquired tankers associated with Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.”
Western governments use the term “shadow fleet” to describe ships accused of transporting Russian oil through opaque ownership structures, changing flags or using other methods to avoid sanctions and the international price cap on Russian crude.
Four Russian companies involved in importing tantalum and niobium were also targeted. The rare metals are used in advanced industrial and military equipment, including components that may be incorporated into weapons deployed on the battlefield.
London said the new restrictions were intended to disrupt the flow of oil income to Russia and limit access to financial and industrial resources that could contribute to its military campaign against Ukraine.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said the government would continue increasing pressure on Moscow until a just and lasting peace was achieved.
Since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on more than 3,400 individuals, companies and ships under its Russia sanctions framework.
Russia has repeatedly described Western sanctions as politically motivated. Its embassy in London did not immediately respond publicly to the latest British measures.
