The government of Australia has imposed targeted sanctions on 60 vessels linked to Russia’s so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent restrictions on oil and gas exports.
This move marks the first time Australia has imposed sanctions against the shadow fleet. The vessels within the fleet are operating using deceptive practices, such as flag-hopping, disabling tracking systems, and operating with inadequate insurance.
Australia’s minister for foreign affairs, Penny Wong, said that the sanctions reinforce the country’s “consistent commitment to ensuring Russia and those enabling its illegal invasion of Ukraine face consequences”.
“Australia has imposed over 1,400 sanctions in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. We will continue to take coordinated and decisive action to protect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and disrupt Russia’s ability to fund its aggression,” Wong stated.
She also called on Russia to “immediately end this war and withdraw from Ukrainian territory”.
“The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations (AFUO) is particularly grateful to minister Wong and her team for leading the charge on this initiative. These sanctions send a strong and necessary signal that Australia will not be complicit in funding Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine,” the organisation said.
The AFUO also urged the Australian government to fully close this sanctions loophole by banning the import of all petroleum products refined from Russian crude oil.
This week, the UK unveiled a new sanctions package at the G7 Summit in Canada that targeted 20 additional tankers linked to Russia’s shadow oil fleet.
In May, the EU agreed to sanction an additional 200 ships, increasing the number of sanctioned vessels to around 340. The EU’s 18th package of sanctions against Russia is expected to be announced next week.