The EU once again strikes Russia with a new package of sanctions

While the conflict in Ukraine gets bogged down, the European Union crosses a strategic threshold. On May 20, Brussels adopted a 17ᵉ Rank of sanctions which targets targets hitherto little exposed: the Russian ghost fleet, logistical pillar of oil bypass. This maneuver, synchronized with London, marks a turning point in the economic war against Moscow. By hardening its line, the EU intends to weaken the opaque circuits funding the Russian military effort and maintaining pressure on its foreign support.

Head on the ghost fleet: a new energy front

In a statement on the sidelines of a meeting of the European Union's Defense Ministers in Brussels, Kaja Kallas, head of European diplomacy, announcement ::

The EU approved its 17ᵉ Package of sanctions against Russia, which targets nearly 200 ships in its ghost fleet.

This decision reflects a strategic inflection. After capped Russian oil prices, Brussels now intends to strike the bypass mechanisms set up by Moscow via ships operating under complacency, and frequently change identities or deactivate their location systems.

Here are the main elements targeted by this new part:

• Nearly 200 ships suspected of belonging to the Russian ghost fleet are registered on the list of sanctioned entities;
• These ships are accused of masking the origin of Russian oil to resell it in Asian or African markets, by bypassing Western restrictions;
• The objective of the EU is to further restrict the energy income which fuels the Russian war effort;
• This strategy is based on better customs and maritime coordination within the Union to strengthen the surveillance of unsuccessful export roads.

By targeting financial flows or energy companies not only, but physical vectors of petroleum trade, the EU refines its system.

This evolution reflects an awareness. The economic resilience of Russia, an influential member of the BRICS, is based in part on opaque logistics networks, difficult to intercept without specific measures.

Thus, the political message is clear. Moscow will not be able to play eternally with the room for maneuver left by existing sanctions.

An offensive coordinated on finance and disinformation

In the wake of the European Union, the United Kingdom also announced on Tuesday a new salvo of measures which aim to strike Moscow on other fronts. According to an official statement from the British Ministry of Foreign Affairs, these sanctions this time concern the financial sector, military supply chains and Russian disinformation relays.

“”The sanctions target financial institutions, individuals accused of propagating Russian disinformation as well as the supply chains of the Russian lethal weapons systems, in particular the Iskander missiles“Said the Foreign Office.

This dimension, distinct from the European maritime approach, completes the asphyxiation strategy by targeting financing and production circuits.

Indeed, these new measures are involved in a context of increased tensions, after a massive attack of drones against several Ukrainian regions the previous weekend.

In addition, they reflect a political desire to respond quickly to climbing, while limiting the technological and financial room for kremlin. In parallel, the British government said they worked with its international partners to strengthen the Russian oil price cap, in order to further reduce income from the Russian energy sector.