The UK government is set to impose fresh sanctions on up to 100 Russian oil tankers accused of circumventing international penalties, in a move aimed at choking off funding for President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will unveil the new measures at a summit of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Oslo, Norway, where northern European leaders are gathered to coordinate regional defence and security efforts. The targeted vessels are part of what has been dubbed a “shadow fleet” — a network of tankers used by Moscow to bypass western sanctions and continue exporting oil and gas despite international restrictions.
Downing Street says the tankers in question have carried more than £18 billion worth of cargo since January 2024, fuelling what the government calls Putin’s “illegal war machine.” The new restrictions will ban these ships from entering UK ports and leave them vulnerable to being detained if they enter British waters.
The announcement follows mounting concerns over the opaque ownership and dangerous conditions associated with these vessels. Officials describe the fleet as “decrepit and dangerous,” with some reportedly involved in “reckless seafaring” that has already raised security alarms, including suspected links to recent damage to undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea.
Speaking ahead of the summit, Starmer said the UK would use every tool available to cut off Russian oil revenues. “We will do everything in our power to destroy Putin’s shadow fleet operation, starve his war machine of oil revenues, and protect the subsea infrastructure critical to European security,” he said.
“Every step we take to isolate the Kremlin and increase pressure on Moscow is a step closer to peace for Ukraine and long-term security for the UK,” he added.
The JEF, a ten-nation defence coalition including Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and the UK, was established to enhance regional stability and collective deterrence in the High North, North Atlantic, and Baltic Sea regions. Member states are also expected to announce additional support for Ukraine at the Oslo summit.
This is the second time the UK has targeted Russia’s shadow fleet at a JEF meeting, having sanctioned 133 vessels during a previous summit in December 2024. The government says these efforts are part of a broader strategy to undermine Russia’s ability to sustain its military campaign through energy exports.
