The EU Council on Monday voted to impose new sanctions on individuals and groups assisting Russian-owned oil operations under sanctions in response to the invasion of Ukraine. File Photo by Patrick Seeger/EPA-EFE
The European Council on Monday sanctioned five people and four organizations linked to the Russian-owned oil companies Lukoil and Rosneft accused of supporting the country’s so-called shadow fleet.
The shadow fleet is accused circumventing existing sanctions on Russian oil in response to the invasion of Ukraine. The EU Council said the fleet transports petroleum products or crude oil from Russia, but conceals the origins “while practicing irregular and high-risk shipping practices.
Those targeted by Monday’s sanctions include Canadian-Pakistani businessman Murtaza Lakhani, whom the EU Council accused of providing the Russian government with “a substantial source of revenue” through his shipments of Russian oil.
Also named were Azerbaijani oil trader Etibar Eyyub; Valery Kildiyarov, director of Lukoil subsidiary Litasco Middle East DMCC; and Anar Madatli and Talat Safarov, who both have ties to trading company Coral Energy, also known as 2Rivers Group.
Among the entities named were Nova Shipmanagement, Citrine Marine, Hung Phat Maritime Trading and SeverTransBunker Co.
The EU sanctions will freeze the assets of those named, as well as impose travel bans.
