Britain has imposed new sanctions against Russia and announced the emergence of a new "shadow fleet"

The United Kingdom has imposed a new package of 31 sanctions measures against Russia and stated that Moscow is forming a separate "shadow fleet" for the export of liquefied natural gas in circumvention of restrictions. This was reported by the government of the United Kingdom.

The new package includes 23 individuals and legal entities, as well as eight vessels. For individuals and companies, asset freezes, restrictions on trust services, and a ban on holding director positions are envisaged, and for individuals - also a travel ban. Vessels are subject to transport and trade sanctions.

London placed a separate emphasis on Russian LNG exports. According to the British government's assessment, Moscow is trying to create a new "shadow fleet" to circumvent sanctions and preserve revenues from gas sales. The sanctions coverage includes vessels acquired or engaged for this scheme, with some of them starting operations only in the summer of 2026.

Among the eight sanctioned vessels, the British authorities single out three ships of the "shadow fleet", two vessels that provide them with fuel, as well as three Russian ice-class vessels.

In the official sanctions list, in particular, the LNG tankers Chaivo, Portovyy, Aleksey Kosygin, Konstantin Posiet, and Pyotr Stolypin are indicated. The British authorities link them to the transportation of Russian liquefied gas to third countries.

The new restrictions concern not only the energy sector. Britain has also introduced sanctions against persons whom it associates with the illegal detention, torture and cruel treatment of Ukrainian civilians in the occupied territories.

Another part of the package is directed against people involved, according to British data, in the deportation, militarization and ideological indoctrination of Ukrainian children. Separate sanctions have been imposed against participants in networks spreading pro-Kremlin disinformation.

London noted that Russia is increasingly actively using shipping to circumvent energy sanctions. If previously the attention of Western countries was mainly focused on the "shadow fleet" of oil tankers, now the British authorities are specifically talking about the formation of an analogous system for LNG exports.

Earlier, Kurs Ukrainy wrote that Britain had already imposed restrictions against vessels transporting Russian liquefied gas. The new package shows that sanctions pressure is noe spreading not only to individual tankers, but also to infrastructure, which London views as a new Russian mechanism for circumventing restrictions.

Based on materials from: UK Government, UK Sanctions List