UK announces biggest sanctions package against Russia in four years

On Tuesday, February 24, the UK government announced the biggest package of sanctions against Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine four years ago.

The UK government said this in a press release seen by Ukrinform.

"The UK has today taken decisive action to disrupt the critical financing, military equipment and revenue streams that sustain Russia's aggression, in our largest raft of measures since the early months of the invasion," UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said.

The new action targets one of the world's largest oil pipeline companies, PJSC Transneft, responsible for transporting over 80% of Russian oil exports, further hampering the Kremlin's desperate scramble to find buyers for its sanctioned oil.

New measures also hit Russia’s dark web of illicit oil traders, sanctioning 175 companies in the "2Rivers" oil network, one of the largest shadow fleet operators globally and a major trader of Russian crude oil.

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In addition, the latest swathe of sanctions includes 48 oil tankers transporting oil as part of the Kremlin's desperate attempt to soften the blow of crushing sanctions.

Today's action also clamps down on:

  • 49 entities and individuals involved in sustaining Russia’s war machine, including international suppliers that are providing the vital goods, components and technology in Russian drones and other weapons terrorizing innocent Ukrainian civilians.
  • 3 civil nuclear energy companies and 2 individuals involved in trying to secure contracts for new Russian nuclear installations overseas, opening up additional energy revenue streams to make up for plummeting oil revenues.
  • 6 targets in Russia's beleaguered Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) industry including ships, traders and Russia's Portovaya and Vysotsk terminals responsible for exporting Russian LNG.
  • 9 Russian banks which process cross-border payments vital to Russia's attempts to cling on to access to international markets and help finance the Kremlin's war effort.

The UK has now sanctioned over 3,000 individuals, businesses and ships under its Russia regime.

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