London imposes toughest Russia sanctions since war began

Britain has imposed fresh sanctions on Russian oil pipeline operator Transneft as part of a package of nearly 300 measures marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. London described the move as the largest set of sanctions since the start of the war.

According to the British government, Transneft handles more than 80 per cent of Russian oil exports, and the measures are intended to curb Moscow’s energy revenues.

Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was acting to disrupt the flow of funding and military equipment supporting Russian aggression. The total number of sanctioned individuals, companies and vessels now exceeds 3,000. The package also targets 48 tankers linked to the so-called shadow fleet.

An analysis by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air found that Russia earned €193 billion from energy exports in the 12 months to 24 February 2026 – 27 per cent less than before the invasion. Sanctions have cut gas revenues, but oil export volumes have not fallen, as Moscow redirected supplies to China, India and Turkey.

The UK has also imposed sanctions on 175 companies belonging to the Dubai-based 2Rivers Group, one of the world’s largest operators of shadow fleets and a major trader in Russian oil.

(reuters, max)