UK Targets Russian Oil Tankers with Sanctions

(MENAFN) Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday praised the United Kingdom’s latest punitive measures against a group of Russian oil tankers, describing it as a vital action to disrupt Moscow’s war-related revenues.

“I am grateful to the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Keir Starmer for the powerful new sanctions package against Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’ – targeting the Russian army’s money-making machine,” Zelenskyy stated on X. “Every step that limits the Kremlin’s ability to fund its war brings peace closer.”

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed this perspective following his meeting with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy in the city of Lviv.

“More pressure and sanctions on Russia are key to raising the cost of war for the aggressor,” he said, adding that they also reviewed military developments and diplomatic initiatives for a fair resolution.

The UK intends to impose penalties on as many as 100 oil-carrying ships implicated in moving Russian crude oil, accusing them of supporting the Kremlin’s war financing.

These vessels will be prohibited from entering UK ports and face seizure if located in British territorial waters.

Premier Starmer is expected to officially reveal the sanctions during the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Oslo, where European heads of state will outline additional aid measures for Ukraine.

British authorities labeled the targeted ships as “decrepit and dangerous,” associating them with hazardous activity and recent harm to vital undersea systems in the Baltic region.

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