As part of its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, the European Union has authorised its member states to sell Russian oil and petroleum products that they have seized from tankers belonging to Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’, reports Euractiv.
According to a European official in Brussels, the removal of petroleum products from detained tankers is a common occurrence, but “the question was what to do with the cargo”, which is “very valuable”.
The new EU rules also allow grain carried by such tankers to be put up for sale.
The European Union agreed on its 21st package of sanctions against Russia on 23 July. In particular, the sanctions targeted a further 41 vessels belonging to the ‘shadow fleet’, as well as eight organisations and one individual linked to the activities of the ‘shadow fleet’. For the first time, a crew recruitment agency for ‘shadow fleet’ vessels has been sanctioned.
Tankers belonging to the Russian ‘shadow fleet’ transport oil at prices above the established ceiling.