(Reuters) — The European Union will add 27 vessels, including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers, to its list of entities under sanctions as part of its latest measures against Russia, two sources familiar with the matter said Monday.
EU countries adopted the 14th package of sanctions against Russia earlier Monday. These included a ban on trans-shipments of Russian LNG off EU ports that will take effect after a nine-month transition period. The full details will be published later in the EU’s Official Journal.
The latest list, seen by Reuters, includes 19 tankers, including two Russian floating gas storage units (FSU) — the Saam and Koryak — as well as ships run by Russia’s state-owned shipping company Sovcomflot.
Owned by Russia’s top LNG exporter Novatek, the two ships — already under US sanctions — were meant for trans-shipping LNG from its new Arctic LNG 2 project. Russia has a shortage of ice-class LNG ships and relies on trans-shipments to keep those it has in the Baltic Sea area.
The list also includes ships that have transported defense equipment for Russia as well as the Enisey cargo ship, which the EU says has moved stolen Ukrainian grain.
Moscow has been more adept than western powers expected at circumventing sanctions, including the Group of Seven nations’ price cap on Russian oil.
