EU sanctions pro-Kremlin figures and those linked to Russia's shadow fleet

The restrictions are aimed at further reducing Russia's ability to generate revenue to finance its aggressive war against Ukraine. Five individuals and four companies involved in supporting the logistics and financial chain of the shadow fleet have been sanctioned.

The list includes businessmen associated with the Russian state oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, which control ships transporting crude oil and petroleum products of Russian origin. According to the EU, they concealed the true origin of the cargo and used illegal and risky transportation methods.

Sanctions have also been imposed on shipping companies based in the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, and Russia. These are the owners and operators of tankers that are part of the Russian shadow fleet and have already been subject to restrictive measures by the EU or other countries.

The individuals and companies on the list are subject to asset freezes, and EU citizens and companies are prohibited from providing them with financial resources. In addition, individuals are prohibited from entering or transiting through the territory of EU member states.

Who is subject to sanctions

Sanctions have been imposed, in particular, against Azerbaijani citizens Talat Safarov and Etibar Eyyub, Pakistani and Canadian citizen Murtaza Ali Lakhani, as well as a number of companies from the UAE and Vietnam. In addition, 40 more ships of the shadow fleet have been added to the sanctions list.

Separately, 12 individuals and two legal entities were subject to restrictions, which the EU Council considers to be involved in Russian hybrid operations, including disinformation. Among them are representatives of the pro-Kremlin Valdai Club: editor-in-chief of the magazine Russia in Global Affairs Fyodor Lukyanov, deputy director of the Center for Comprehensive European and International Studies at the Higher School of Economics Dmitry Suslov, dean of the Faculty of International Relations at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations Andrey Sushenstov, program director of the Valdai Club Ivan Timofeev, and chairman of the club's board of directors Andrey Bystritsky.

Sanctions were also imposed on John Dugan, a US and Russian citizen and former Florida sheriff's deputy who spreads pro-Russian narratives online, suspected GRU officers Vladislav Borovkov, Dmitry Goloshubov, and Denis Denisenko, pro-Russian Ukrainian journalist Diana Panchenko, former Swiss army officer Jacques Baud, and former French military officer Xavier Moreau.

In addition, restrictions were imposed on the 142nd Radio-Electronic Warfare Battalion of the Russian Armed Forces and the so-called International Movement of Russophiles, which brings together pro-Russian figures from various countries.

Russia's shadow fleet

According to Ukrainian intelligence, almost one in six tankers in the world is currently part of Russia's shadow fleet — that's about 17% of all active vessels of this type. Since the beginning of the year, analysts have recorded 940 tankers linked to this Russian fleet.

In addition to circumventing sanctions, Ukraine believes that these vessels are being used as instruments of hybrid influence and attacks against Europe.

The fight against the shadow fleet is being waged on several levels. In particular, the European Commission may include some of these tankers in separate sanctions lists if the adoption of the 20th package of sanctions is delayed until the end of the year.

According to media reports, Ukraine, in agreement with the administration of US President Donald Trump, is applying so-called kinetic sanctions against Russian vessels. In recent days alone, marine drones have disabled three tankers belonging to the Russian shadow fleet in the Black Sea.