Western sanctions crippling Russia’s tanker fleet: President’s Office shares details
Photo: Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak (facebook.com/zelenskyy.official)
Sanctions pressure on Russia is already showing results. This month, the activity of more than 340 tankers transporting Russian oil in circumvention of restrictions has dropped by nearly half, according to a statement by the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak.
Yermak emphasized that Western sanctions are hitting Russia’s tanker fleet hard.
In June, according to the Head of the Office of the President, the activity of 343 Russian vessels transporting oil in violation of restrictions dropped by almost half.
"This is the result of coordinated sanctions by the EU, the US, and the UK. Most of these vessels are already under sanctions. Russia’s ability to finance the war is decreasing because it relies heavily on this fleet and energy sales. The pressure must continue," Yermak stressed.
Sanctions against Russia
A new, 18th package of sanctions against Russia could be adopted as early as this week. However, the process has faced complications due to the positions of the Hungarian and Slovak governments.
On June 23, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated that his country, along with Slovakia, had blocked the approval of the new sanctions package.
The following day, on June 24, Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár denied those claims and assured that Bratislava is ready to support the sanctions, provided there are guarantees that the new restrictions won’t harm Slovakia’s economy.
Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the European Union is set to introduce its 18th sanctions package against Russia today, June 26. This move is part of a broader strategy to pressure the Kremlin into peace negotiations over Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stressed this evening that EU countries must adopt a strong 18th sanctions package against Russia. According to him, the primary focus should be on targeting the aggressor’s energy revenues.
