The British government announced on Monday that it has imposed sanctions on 30 ships alleged to be part of Russia’s “shadow fleet,” bringing the total number of vessels under UK restrictions to 73.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy described the measures as the UK’s “largest sanctions package” to date against tankers and cargo ships used by Moscow to bypass export and oil embargoes, enabling it to fund its war against Ukraine.
The UK also sanctioned two Russian insurers accused of facilitating the so-called ghost fleet, which operates under questionable ownership or without proper insurance.
These vessels, often carrying Russian oil and petrol while flying the flag of another nation, allow the Kremlin to continue exporting despite sanctions on exports and a global oil price cap.
According to a statement from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), half of the vessels targeted by the latest sanctions transported oil and oil products worth over $4.3 billion in the past year.
Announced by Lammy during a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in Italy, the new sanctions now exceed the number of ships targeted by the United States (39) and the European Union (19).
London claims the sanctions are proving effective, with “Russia increasingly reliant on states such as North Korea and Iran for military hardware.”
The FCDO highlighted that two oil tankers, Artemis (registered under the Gabonese flag) and Sea Fidelity (flying the flag of Honduras), have been “idling uselessly in the Baltic Sea” since being sanctioned last month.