The European Council has adopted the seventeenth Russia sanctions package deal together with nearly 200 shadow fleet vessels and a Russian oil large.

As defined, as a part of the EU’s response to Russia’s warfare in Ukraine, the package deal goals to additional prohibit Russia’s entry to battlefield applied sciences and minimize revenues from Russian vitality imports by concentrating on an unprecedented variety of vessels from Russia’s shadow fleet.

The package deal additionally expands the variety of particular person and entity listings. Furthermore, it prolongs an present exemption from the oil value cap for the Sakhalin-2 challenge to make sure Japan’s vitality safety.

Particularly, the EU has listed 189 further vessels which are a part of the shadow fleet of oil tankers or contribute to Russia’s vitality revenues, bringing the overall variety of listings to 342.

The vessels have been recognized along with Member States and the European Maritime Security Company (EMSA). They’re now topic to a port entry ban and a ban on provision of companies.

As per the European Fee, the seventeenth package deal represents ‘the biggest’ single G7 sanctions motion concentrating on shadow fleet vessels. EU vessels listings, together with efforts from accomplice nations just like the UK and the US, are considerably lowering Russia’s means to realize revenues from evading the value cap for oil, making it more and more troublesome to exchange sanctioned vessels.

“All in all, exporting oil has develop into extra advanced and dear for the Kremlin, as these vessels are now not in a position to function enterprise as traditional,” the European Fee stated, welcoming the brand new package deal.

In line with the newest information from the Oil Value Cap Coalition, there’s a lower in volumes transported and plenty of ships carrying Russian oil. Because the EU started itemizing these vessels, Russian crude oil deliveries have decreased by 76%.

This package deal additionally provides 31 new firms to the record offering direct or oblique help to Russia’s army industrial advanced, or engaged in sanctions circumvention.

The package deal launched on Could 20, 2025, additionally entails 75 further listings, together with 17 people and 58 entities, accountable for actions undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of Ukraine. They’re now topic to asset freezes and prohibition to make financial assets obtainable, and – within the case of people – additionally to journey bans. The brand new listings have an effect on principally the Russian army and defence sectors, the EC defined.

Furthermore, the listings embody one Russian transport firm—Joint Inventory Firm Volga Transport—essential for producing income.

The seventeenth package deal contains an extension of the exemption from the oil value cap, permitting for the transport of crude oil originating in the Sakhalin-2 Undertaking in Russia by vessel to Japan, primarily based on vitality safety issues. The extension is granted for one yr till June 28, 2026.

Because of the EU and G7 vitality sanctions and the REPowerEU coverage of diversification of provide and substitute of Russian imports, Russia’s oil and fuel revenues have fallen from €100 billion in 2022 to €22 billion in 2024. It is a discount of just about 80% in comparison with earlier than the warfare, in line with the EC.

“This spherical of sanctions on Russia is probably the most wide-sweeping for the reason that begin of the warfare, along with new hybrid, human rights, and chemical weapons-related sanctions. On this seventeenth package deal, we embody Surgutneftegas – a Russian oil large – in addition to nearly 200 vessels in Russia’s shadow fleet,” Kaja Kallas, Excessive Consultant for Overseas Affairs and Safety Coverage/Vice-President of the European Fee, commented.

“Whereas Putin feigns curiosity in peace, extra sanctions are within the works,” she added.

“At the moment’s adoption of the seventeenth sanctions package deal reaffirms the European Union’s unwavering dedication to supporting Ukraine and holding Russia accountable for its aggression. These new measures not solely improve the financial and technological strain on Russia’s warfare machine but in addition ship a robust message that any efforts to evade sanctions will face swift and decisive penalties,” Maria Luís Albuquerque, Commissioner for Monetary Providers and the Financial savings and Investments Union, emphasised.

“At the moment’s package deal greater than doubles the vessels which are a part of the shadow fleet of oil tankers or contribute to Russia’s vitality revenues. The sanctions are working: Russia’s economic system is below pressure, its assets are dwindling, and its means to maintain this unlawful warfare is more and more unsustainable. The EU stands united with Ukraine and continues to bolster efforts to make sure Russia can’t circumvent these sanctions. We’ll proceed to use strain and maintain these enabling this warfare accountable.”

The most recent spherical of sanctions follows the sixteenth package deal adopted by the council in February this yr.

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