EU Hits Russia’s Shadow Fleet and Cyber Networks With New Sanctions

The European Council has imposed new sanctions on nine individuals and organizations supporting Russia’s so-called shadow fleet, according to an official statement from the European Council on December 15.

The measures aim to limit Russia’s ability to generate revenue for its war against Ukraine. The sanctions target five individuals and four companies involved in the logistics and finances of the shadow fleet.

The list includes businessmen linked to Russian state-owned oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil, which control vessels transporting crude oil and petroleum products while concealing their true origin and using illegal methods. Shipping companies based in the UAE, Vietnam, and Russia are also included, many of which were already under international restrictions.

Those on the list face asset freezes, and EU citizens and businesses are prohibited from providing them financial resources. Individuals are also banned from entering or transiting through EU countries.

Sanctioned individuals include Azerbaijani citizens Talat Safarov and Etibar Eyub, Murtaza Ali Lakhani (dual citizen of Pakistan and Canada), several companies from the UAE and Vietnam, and 40 vessels of the shadow fleet.

Additionally, 12 individuals and 2 organizations are sanctioned for involvement in Russian hybrid operations, including disinformation campaigns. Notable figures include members of the Kremlin-linked Valdai Club : Fedor Lukyanov, Dmitry Suslov, Andrey Sushentsov, Ivan Timofeev, and Andrey Bystritsky.

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Other targets include John Dugan (US-Russian dual citizen and former Florida sheriff’s deputy), GRU  officers Vladislav Borovkov, Dmitry Goloshubov, and Denis Denisenko, pro-Russian journalist Diana Panchenko, and former military officers Jacques Beau and Xavier Moreau.

Restrictions also cover the 142nd Electronic Warfare Battalion of the Russian Armed Forces, the “International Russophile Movement,” Russian military intelligence unit 29155, and the cyber threat group Cadet Blizzard, responsible for attacks on Ukraine, EU states, and NATO allies.

In total, 59 individuals and 17 organizations are now subject to these sanctions.

Previously, the United States has removed sanctions on Belarusian potash exports, which previously made up 20% of the global supply. The decision was confirmed by John Cole, US Special Representative for Belarus, who said the move follows directives from President Trump, according to The Moscow Times citing Belarusian state media on December 13.

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