UK Targets 10 More Ships in Russia’s Shadow Fleet with New Sanctions

Britain has imposed sanctions on 10 more ships from Russia’s “shadow fleet,” which are accused of using illegal practices to evade Western restrictions on Russian oil. Russia has rejected Western pressures to curb its oil exports, and over the past year, the number of tankers transporting oil without conventional Western oversight or insurance has increased.

British Foreign Minister David Lammy stated that the new sanctions further hinder Russia’s ability to conduct oil trade through its shadow fleet. This action raises the total number of sanctioned shadow fleet vessels to 25.

The UK’s foreign ministry noted that previous sanctions have already caused significant disruptions to these vessels, leaving most of them idle outside ports and unable to continue their oil trade.

The 10 newly sanctioned tankers were formerly managed by Oil Tankers SCF MGMT FZCO, a UAE-based company that worked with Russia’s top shipping company, Sovcomflot, last year. Earlier this year, these vessels were transferred to another UAE company, Stream Ship Management FZCO.

One of the sanctioned vessels, the SCF Baltica, was listed as part of Sovcomflot’s fleet earlier this year. Both the SCF Baltica and Olympiysky Prospect have been active this navigation season, transporting oil from Russian ports to China via the North Sea Route.

The UK foreign ministry described the targeted ships as “high-volume offenders,” operating continuously to move as much Russian oil as possible. In addition to the UK’s sanctions, the European Union imposed measures on Sovcomflot in June, and the UK added sanctions on 11 tankers in July, including at least two linked to Sovcomflot. The CEO of SCF has expressed concerns that such sanctions undermine maritime safety and impact trade by affecting ship standards.