In recent days, we have seen a sharp and painful reaction from the aggressor, including Crimean “talking heads” of the occupiers, to the new, 21st sanctions package introduced by the European Union on July 23.
The EU imposed asset freezes and a ban on providing funds to 94 Russian banks and large financial institutions, extending the ban on transactions to an additional 33 Russian credit and financial institutions, and also provided for the possibility of a complete ban on the provision of crypto-related services to Russian entities.
The sanctions lists included 41 new vessels of the Russian shadow fleet, in addition to the 632 already sanctioned, as well as more than 50 military-industrial enterprises.
A ban was also imposed on transactions with the Georgian Kulevi Oil Refinery, which handles the trading and processing of Russian oil, and sanctions were imposed on the Russian ports of Vysotsk and Olya. The new sanctions package introduces notification requirements for the sale of tankers carrying liquefied natural gas, as well as the possibility of introducing new restrictions on the sale of such tankers to Russian citizens and companies.
A mechanism has also been announced that lays the foundation for the seizure and subsequent sale of Russian oil from detained sanctioned tankers in third countries. This will allow EU regulators to seize oil from detained tankers and store, stockpile, transport, and sell it.
Of particular note are the personal sanctions imposed against those involved in our investigations: Russian propagandist Vladimir Medinsky, FIDE head Arkady Dvorkovich, and oligarch Mikhail Gutseriev, who controls the “RussNeft” business empire.
Sanctions have also been imposed against the previously repeatedly exposed “Crimean financial institution” “Genbank”, a Lukoil maritime subsidiary, the Petersburg-based “Lukoil-Marinbunker”, and the Novorossiysk-based crewing agency “Aquamarine Ship Management”, which supplies crews to the Russian tanker fleet.
We previously described the aggressor’s attempts to “re-register” the tanker “Bella 1”, IMO number 9230880, which was detained by US authorities in the North Atlantic, under the Russian flag using fake documents from the “Russian Maritime Register of Shipping”.
The crew for this vessel was recruited through entities associated with the aforementioned crewing agency. Our cooperation with EU agencies to expand sanctions lists and monitor attempts to violate sanctions will continue.
