EU approves new raft of sanctions on Russia with focus on ‘shadow fleet’ oil tankers

EU ambassadors have approved a 17th raft of sanctions on Russia, Agence France-Presse reported on Wednesday.

The new restrictions are aimed chiefly at the Russian “shadow fleet”, tankers which help Russia circumvent the oil embargo imposed in December 2022 as a consequence of the invasion of Ukraine.

According to Deutsche Welle (DW), the latest sanctions will affect a further 200 tankers, bringing the total number of Russian “shadow fleet” ships currently under EU sanctions up to 340.

The sanctions will also apply to approximately 30 other companies, especially those trading in dual-use goods, as well as 75 individuals and companies associated with Russia’s military-industrial complex, according to DW, which added that the sanctions are due to be officially adopted at an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting on 20 May.

The Financial Times wrote on Tuesday that the sanctions would also affect Vietnamese, Turkish and Serbian companies that help Russia circumvent the sanctions.

Sources told Bloomberg on Monday that the EU was ready to postpone the new raft of sanctions on Russia until after any meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Vladimir Putin in Istanbul, which may go ahead on Thursday, though it still remains unclear if Putin will attend in person.