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Overview

On 1 October 2026, the UK government announced a significant new package of 31 sanctions against Russia. The package comprises 23 new designations of individuals and entities and eight ship specifications, representing a further intensification of the UK’s economic pressure on Russia ahead of winter. The measures target revenue streams critical to sustaining Russia’s war effort – particularly in the LNG and Arctic shipping sectors – alongside those responsible for serious human rights abuses in occupied Ukrainian territories and those engaged in pro-Kremlin disinformation campaigns.

The package comes against a backdrop of continued Russian aggression, with over 3,100 drone strikes launched into Ukraine in September 2026 alone, and follows sham elections held in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine that same month. The UK has now imposed over 3,400 designations under the Russia sanctions regime, including more than 500 in 2026, and has sanctioned nearly 600 tankers in connection with Russia’s shadow fleet.

Continue Reading UK sanctions update: new Russia package targets LNG shadow fleet, propagandists, and human rights abusers

The Council adopted its 21st package of restrictive measures against Russia on 23 July 2026. The instruments entered into force on 24 July 2026 (the day following publication in the Official Journal). The principal instruments are Regulation (EU) 2026/1848; Regulation (EU) 2026/1844; and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1843 (amending and implementing Regulation (EU) No 269/2014).

Continue Reading EU’s 21st Sanctions Package: Banks, Barrels, and a Bigger Blacklist

Key takeaways

  • Ban on the import of CN 2710 products derived from Russian crude and refined in third countries – subject to diesel and jet fuel exceptions.
  • Prohibition on the maritime transportation of Russian LNG – subject to carve-outs for: (i) pre-existing long-term LNG contracts until 1 January 2027; and (ii) Sakhalin and Yamal 2 projects.
  • Expansion of specified “shadow-fleet” vessel restrictions, with wide-ranging measures prohibiting provision of all principal services to specified ships. These will not automatically apply to pre-existing specified ships.
  • The LNG and refined product restrictions follow announcements in late 2025 by the UK government of an intention to introduce such measures. These largely align with existing EU measures under Council Regulation (EU) 833/2014.
Continue Reading UK imposes new Russia sanctions – mirroring of EU position on the maritime transport of LNG and refined petroleum products derived from Russian crude

On 19 May 2026, the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) issued General Trade Licence GBSAN0004 (the Licence), authorising the import into the United Kingdom of certain processed oil products derived from Russian crude oil. The Licence, which comes into force on 20 May 2026, marks a notable relaxation of the UK’s otherwise comprehensive sanctions…

On 23 April 2026, the EU adopted its 20th package of sanctions against Russia. These measures are contained in (i) Council Regulation (EU) 2026/506 (see here), (ii) Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/509 (see here), and (iii) Council Regulation (EU) 2026/511 (see here), as published in the Official Journal of the EU.…

Key takeaways:

  • EU and UK sanctions now increasingly target the full maritime logistics chain, including third country actors
  • Shadow-fleet measures have intensified scrutiny on vessels and operators
  • Compliance has become central to commercial decision-making
Continue Reading How sanctions transformed the shipping industry in 2025

The European Parliament and Council have reached a provisional political agreement to permanently end all imports of Russian natural gas into the EU on an accelerated timetable. The deal brings forward key deadlines for LNG and pipeline gas, tightens limits on contract amendments, enhances anti-circumvention and origin-tracking rules, and strengthens enforcement with significant penalties. Member…

Following the EU’s existing embargo on Russian crude oil and petroleum products, the European Commission has proposed, and the Council has now agreed in principle, a complementary Regulation designed to end the remaining inflows of Russian natural gas into the Union. The measure gives legal effect to the Commission’s May 2025 Roadmap towards ending Russian…

Tonzip Maritime Ltd v. 2Rivers Pte Ltd (formerly Coral Energy Pte Ltd) [2025] EWHC 2036 (Comm)

A. Key facts

On 5 November 2021, Tonzip Maritime Ltd (Owners), owner of the vessel CATALAN SEA (the Vessel), entered into a voyage charterparty with 2Rivers Pte Ltd (formerly Coral Energy Pte Ltd) (2Rivers) for the carriage of oil from Primorsk, Russia, to Aliaga, Turkey (the Charterparty).

Continue Reading Refusing voyage orders: Sanctions risk assessments must be based on evidence, not speculation

On 18 July 2025, the EU announced the 18th sanctions package against Russia and Belarus. The legislative texts were published on 19 July 2025. As of this date, the latest restrictions indicate a misalignment between the EU / UK, and other G7 members, including the United States.

Continue Reading EU-nough Russian Oil – EU’s 18th Sanctions Package