The UK government has implemented 100 new sanctions designed to hit Russia’s revenues and military supplies, including against its so-called shadow fleet carrying oil and electronics companies.
The move announced by the UK foreign secretary, Yvette Cooper, as she travels to Kyiv, comes as Vladimir Putin continues to obstruct peace efforts by launching the largest air attack of the war against Ukraine, with more than 800 missiles and drones fired in a single night.
The numbers of Russian drones and missiles launched against Ukraine – 6,500 in July alone – are 10 times the level of a year ago, with recent strikes directly hitting the Ukrainian cabinet of ministers, damaging the British Council and EU delegation buildings in Kyiv and a violation of Nato airspace over Poland.
On Friday, sanctions were imposed on 70 more ships in Russia’s “shadow fleet” that transport Russian oil, while 30 entities and individuals supporting Russia’s war machine by supplying key equipment such as electronics, chemicals and explosives used to manufacture missiles and other weapons systems were also targeted.
Sanctions have also been imposed on the China-based Shenzhen Blue Hat International Trade Co, and its Russian co-owners, Elena Malitckaia and Alexey Malitskiy, and Turkey-based MastelMakina İthalat İhracat Limited Şirketi and its chief executive, the Azerbaijani national Shanlik Shukurov.
Cooper, appointed UK foreign secretary in Keir Starmer’s reshuffle one week ago, said: “The UK will not stand idly by as Putin continues his barbaric invasion of Ukraine. His complete disregard for sovereignty has been shown this week when he recklessly sent drones into Nato airspace. The security of Nato and Ukraine are crucial to the UK’s security – an integral part of the prime minister’s plan for change.
“International action to increase economic pressure on Russia and to cut off critical cashflows which he desperately needs to pay for this illegal war is vital. These sanctions form the next stage in the UK’s leading efforts to ramp up economic pressure alongside our security support and our work alongside the coalition of the willing for a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”
