Russian shadow fleet and liquid gas on new sanctions list

Published 25 June 2024 at 11.02

Foreign. The EU has adopted a fourteenth package of sanctions against Russia due to the war against Ukraine. The sanctions are aimed at strangling the Russian state's income and war capabilities.

Share the article

TwittraShare

The new sanctions package includes, among other things, tightened measures against the so-called shadow fleet and imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).

– Russia continues its brutal war of aggression with unabated intensity and far-reaching consequences for civilians. It shows the importance of continued military support and of increasing pressure on Russia through tougher sanctions. The new sanctions package contains several important measures that Sweden has initiated and pursued, both in terms of the import of LNG and the shadow fleet, says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) in a statement.

Sweden has also been the driving force for stricter measures against ships in the shadow fleet, which are used, among other things, to avoid the sanctions and the G7's oil price ceiling. The vessels that are sanctioned will not be allowed access to EU ports. Other services such as bunkering, insurance and registration will also be prohibited.

– Countering the shadow fleet in the Baltic Sea and throttling Russia's income is a priority issue for the government. The shadow fleet is used to avoid the sanctions and is also fraught with serious environmental risks. Thanks to the new sanctions, it will now be possible to sanction ships in the shadow fleet, says Foreign Minister Tobias Billström (M).

The sanctions package includes for the first time an import ban of Russian liquefied natural gas to European LNG terminals that are not connected to the EU's common gas network. The measure, which was proposed by Sweden, means that Swedish importers must now terminate their existing agreements with Russia.

– We have worked hard for this important step to make the EU independent of Russian fossil fuels. Through this import ban, no more Russian LNG will come to the Swedish ports, says Energy and Industry Minister Ebba Busch (KD).

With the new sanctions, the export restrictions are further tightened for products that can be used in Russia's warfare and against companies that contribute to it. The package also contains other measures that counteract the circumvention of the sanctions. In addition to the financial sanctions, the sanctions lists are expanded to include approximately 120 people and entities that support Russia in various ways.