EU Parliament Tightens Sanctions Against Russia’s "Shadow Fleet"; Germany Bans Russian LNG Tankers

The European Parliament yesterday adopted a resolution calling on the EU to strengthen sanctions against Russia's ‘shadow fleet’, which sells oil bypassing international sanctions and is a tool for financing Russia's war in Ukraine.

This is stated on the website of the European Parliament.

‘In a resolution adopted on Thursday, the European Parliament calls for more targeted measures against these vessels in the next EU sanctions package, including all individual vessels, as well as their owners, operators, managers, accounts, banks and insurance companies,’ the statement said.

In turn, the German Ministry of Economy has banned state-owned import LNG terminals from accepting any Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers until ‘further notice,’ the Financial Times reports, citing a letter from the German ministry that is available to journalists. The order was issued to protect the ‘overriding public interest’.

It is noted that Deutsche Energy Terminal was instructed ‘not to accept any deliveries of Russian LNG’.

Before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Germany was the largest importer of Russian gas in Europe. When Russia cut off gas supplies through pipelines to Germany and other European countries, Berlin accelerated its search for alternatives and built a number of terminals to import LNG by sea.

In its letter, the German Ministry of Economy also noted that allowing such supplies would ‘contradict the very purpose’ of the terminals - to ensure Germany's and the EU's independence from Russian gas.

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Germany has not imported Russian LNG, and the ministry's instruction ‘ensures that this remains the case.’

The European Union continues to import this energy carrier - 20% of LNG supplies to Europe come from Russia.

The majority of this fuel is supplied to France, Spain and Belgium under long-term contracts that companies cannot refuse unless a complete ban is introduced.

At the same time, the United States and the United Kingdom have imposed a ban on Russian LNG.

Germany's state-owned energy company Sefe has a long-term contract to supply LNG from Russia's Yamal plant. Almost all of this volume is sent to an import terminal in France. There, the Russian LNG is converted into gaseous form and fed into the European gas pipeline system. In October 2022, Germany began receiving pipeline gas from France.