UK expands anti-Russian sanctions, adding more oil companies to list

The UK has expanded its sanctions against Russia to cover 24 new entities and individuals, including additional oil companies.

The UK has imposed sanctions on four more Russian oil companies – Tatneft, Russneft, Russneftegaz and NNK-Oil.

Russia's largest oil companies, Rosneft and Lukoil, were sanctioned by the UK in October.

The measures announced on 18 December also apply to Tekstil-Servis, Vata Factory (a cotton wool manufacturer), UAE-based Saphira Energy, and three Uzbek companies, Fargona Kimyo Zavodi (the Fergana Chemical Plant), Gelion Business Trade, and Chemistry International.

The UK has also sanctioned five individuals.

Any accounts held in UK banks by sanctioned companies will be frozen if identified. Individuals are also subject to a travel ban.

On 18 December, the Council of the European Union imposed new sanctions on more than 40 vessels that form part of Russia's so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers, which Moscow has used to circumvent Western restrictions on its energy sector.