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Unprecedented US sanctions against Russian oil companies
Six Russian tankers still under construction at Russia’s Zvezda shipyard have been sanctioned by the United States. This is the first time that Washington has banned tankers before they even set sail.
Reuters notes that the sanctions imposed by the US last week caused oil prices to soar and tanker transport costs to rise, as the Biden administration took steps to hurt Russian oil exports and hinder Moscow’s efforts to build its own fleet.
As Reuters discovered, the six tankers under construction at the Zvezda shipyard are among the 183 vessels targeted by the sanctions.
On January 10, the US Treasury Department announced new large-scale sanctions against the Russian energy sector, including the largest oil company Gazprom Neft, in order to hinder Moscow in its war against Ukraine by depriving it of billions of dollars a month.
The sanctions also target more than 180 ships and dozens of oil traders, oil industry service providers, insurance companies and energy sector officials.
According to Reuters, the new US sanctions against Russian oil companies are the most far-reaching restrictions imposed on the country’s energy sector. Russia could lose billions of dollars a month.
