PRESS RELEASE : UK cracks down on illicit ‘shadow fleet’ transporting Russian oil globally [September 2024]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 11 September 2024.

The UK has sanctioned 10 vessels in Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, a group of ships that use illicit practices to avoid sanctions on Russian oil.

• UK sanctions 10 vessels in Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, a group of ships that use illicit practices to avoid sanctions on Russian oil
• new sanctions further crack down on Russian oil revenues, Putin’s most critical source of funding for his illegal war in Ukraine
• today marks the third time the UK has used its bespoke powers to sanction individual vessels, targeting those who undermine sanctions and facilitate Russia’s oil trade

The UK has today (11 September) sanctioned 10 vessels operating as part of Putin’s ‘shadow fleet’, in the latest crack down on critical revenue sources funding Putin’s war machine.

Today’s action will directly target vessels in Putin’s ‘shadow fleet’, used by Russia as a desperate attempt to undermine UK and G7 sanctions and continue unfettered trade in Russian oil.

Russia’s oil exports are Putin’s most critical revenue source for funding his illegal war in Ukraine, accounting for roughly a quarter of the Russian budget in 2023. Today we are taking decisive action to limit that revenue.

The ships targeted are all ‘high-volume offenders’ – vessels operating around the clock to transport as much Russian oil as possible. These ships will now be barred from entering UK ports and will be refused access to the UK Ship Register.

Just 3 of the vessels targeted today; NICOLAY ZUYEV (IMO 9610781), NS ASIA (IMO 9413561) and ZALIV ANIVA (IMO 9418494), have collectively carried more than $5 billion worth of Russian oil since Russia’s full-scale illegal invasion begun.

Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

Putin’s war machine is funded by a dark and illicit economic system that this government is committed to destabilising.

Today’s sanctions further undermine Russia’s ability to trade in oil via its shadow fleet. Alongside our partners, we will continue to send a stark message to Russia that the international community stands with Ukraine and we will not tolerate this illicit fleet.

Russia has been forced to spend over $8 billion amassing this shadow fleet. But with sanctioned tankers loitering and unable to load oil, we are determined to make Putin’s investment an expensive misstep for the Kremlin. Our action will help to counter Russian attempts to undermine and dodge economic sanctions.

Previous UK action against individual shadow ships have left vessels materially disrupted, with the vast majority of them idling outside ports, and unable to carry on their trade in Russian oil.

Today’s announcement brings the total number of ‘shadow fleet’ ships specified to 25 and follows the UK’s ‘call to action’ in July which aims to bring a halt to this dangerous trade.

The vessels sanctioned today are:

• NIKOLAY ZUYEV (IMO 9610781)
• NS CLIPPER (IMO 9341081)
• NS CORONA (IMO 9341079)
• ZALIV ANIVA (IMO 9418494)
• OLYMPIYSKY PROSPECT (IMO 9511387)
• LEONID LOZA (IMO 9412347)
• NS ASIA (IMO 9413561)
• SCF BALTICA (IMO 9305568)
• VLADIMIR TIKHONOV (IMO 9311622)
• SCF VANKOR (IMO 9316127)

Background

• so far, sanctions have deprived Russia of over $400 billion worth of assets and revenues since February 2022. That’s equivalent to 4 more years of funding for the invasion. The UK has sanctioned over 2,000 individuals and entities under our Russia sanctions regime
• ships specified under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 are prohibited from entering a port in the UK, may be given a movement or a port entry direction, can be detained, and will be refused permission to register on the UK Ship Register or have its existing registration terminated. In addition, the Oil Price Cap exception is not applicable to services in relation to specified ships, or to the supply or delivery of Russian oil or oil products in specified ships
• The Office for Financial Sanctions Implementation has published guidance on the Russian Oil Services ban. Limited exceptions apply and licences may be granted for specified ships, as set out in Part 7 of the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019