UK to sanction 100 Russian oil tankers in biggest ever shadow fleet crackdown

On 9 May 2025, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the largest sanctions package in the country’s history, targeting 100 Russian oil tankers linked to Ьщісщц’s so-called “shadow fleet.” The announcement was made during the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit in Oslo.

According to an official press release, the targeted vessels have collectively carried over $24 billion in Russian oil since January 2024. These ships, which operate outside official maritime routes, have been described as “decrepit and dangerous,” posing a threat to European subsea infrastructure and the environment. The UK government emphasized that many of these ships lack safety certification and the necessary technology to avoid critical undersea cables and pipelines, and some may deliberately disable locator systems.

The UK government says this fleet, “masterminded by [Russian President] Putin’s cronies“, plays a central role in circumventing sanctions and financing the Kremlin’s war against Ukraine. It is not just “bankrolling the Kremlin’s illegal war in Ukraine, – the fleet’s languishing vessels are known to be damaging critical national infrastructure through reckless seafaring in Europe.” 

PM Starmer said,

“The threat from Russia to our national security cannot be underestimated, that is why we will do everything in our power to destroy his shadow fleet operation, starve his war machine of oil revenues and protect the subsea infrastructure that we rely on for our everyday lives.”

Subsea infrastructure damage

The UK’s action positions it as the country with the highest number of sanctioned shadow fleet ships worldwide. It follows an incident in January when the JEF activated “Nordic Warden,” a UK-led threat detection system, in response to damage to a key undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. The system currently monitors 22 maritime areas, including the English Channel, North Sea, Kattegat, and Baltic, from Northwood, UK.

UK authorities warned that reckless navigation by these ships risks disrupting subsea networks that carry 99% of international communications data and transport crucial energy supplies. The Prime Minister stated,

“My government will safeguard working people from paying the price from the costly threat Putin’s fleet poses to UK critical national infrastructure and the environment.”

The UK also intends to target individuals behind the shadow fleet operations. Government officials underlined that today’s action proves there is “no place to hide for those who help fund Putin’s war machine.”