"The Government will today sanction up to 100 oil tankers that form a core part of Putin’s shadow fleet operation and are responsible for carrying more than $24 billion worth of cargo since the start of 2024.
It is the latest move by the Government to safeguard working people, protect the UK’s national security and deliver on the foundations of the Plan for Change.
The shadow fleet operation, masterminded by Putin’s cronies, 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.
Protecting subsea infrastructure from malicious and careless incidents is expected to be a key part of Leaders’ discussions at the Joint Expeditionary Force summit in Oslo today.
It comes after the JEF activated an advanced UK-led reaction system, known as Nordic Warden in January, to track potential threats to undersea infrastructure and monitor the Russian shadow fleet, following reported damage to a major undersea cable in the Baltic Sea. 22 areas of interest – including parts of the English Channel, North Sea, Kattegat, and Baltic, are currently being monitored from the JEF’s operational headquarters in Northwood, UK.
Subsea infrastructure is the lifeblood of the UK’s connectivity, carrying 99% of international telecommunications data, and vital energy supplies such as electricity, oil and gas.
The infrastructure is at risk of being disrupted by unseaworthy vessels lacking safety certification, the right technology to avoid the infrastructure, or purposefully disabling locator technology.
Alongside the large number of shadow fleet tankers targeted today, the UK is also expected to disrupt those behind the shadow fleet.
Today’s action further demonstrates that there is no place to hide for those who help fund Putin’s war machine," the UK Government's statement reads.
