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The United Kingdom sanctioned 20 vessels of Russia’s "shadow fleet" and pledged 35 million pounds ($44 million) in aid to repair Ukraine’s energy grid, the British government said on Dec. 17.
Russia's shadow fleet is composed of semi-legal cargo ships transporting Russian products around the globe in violation of international sanctions.
The U.K. sanctions follow similar restrictions imposed by the EU, which recently banned 52 vessels transporting Russian oil above the $60-per-barrel price cap from accessing EU ports and services
According to estimates, 70% of Russia’s seaborne oil exports are transported by such old and poorly insured tankers, fuelling the Kremlin’s war chest and posing a grave danger to the environment.
This was exemplified by two tankers reportedly going under due to severe weather conditions in December in the Kerch Strait, carrying approximately 4,000 tons of fuel oil on board each.
The Ocean Faye, Andaman Skies, and Mianzimu are among the 20 newly sanctioned ships, the British government said. Each will have carried more than 4 million barrels of Russian oil by the end of 2024.
With the latest measures, the U.K. has sanctioned over 100 ships for transporting Russian energy, 93 of which are oil tankers.
"As (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's oil revenues continue to fuel the fires of his illegal war, Ukrainian families are enduring cold, dark nights, often without heating, light or electricity, targeted by Russia's relentless missile attacks," British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
The newly pledged 35 million pounds will be used to " carry out vital repairs to the electricity transmission network and provide further power generation capacity and critical protection for energy infrastructure,” the statement read.
Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's power grid with mass drone and missile attacks, most recently on Dec. 13, heavily damaging energy infrastructure as the winter sets in.
Dmytro Basmat
(Updated: )
