Vessels of the world's leading LNG tanker operator have been hit by EU sanctions through Russia
The European Union's 17th package of sanctions has targeted three vessels that helped transport Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Yamal LNG project, Bloomberg reports.
The vessels affected by the restrictions are the North Moon, North Ocean and North Light. They are operated by the Japanese company Mitsui OSK Lines, one of the world's leading operators of LNG tankers.
The EU said that these vessels contribute to the development of Russia's energy sector, in particular its infrastructure. The new sanctions came as a surprise, as they affected the ships of a major international carrier.
It is noted that this indicates Brussels' intentions to more actively block ways to circumvent existing restrictions.
Mitsui OSK Lines confirmed that they operate the vessels in question and assured that they "intend to fully cooperate with the EU and Japanese governments in complying with the sanctions."
These three vessels recently helped transport cargo from the Yamal LNG, which is not under sanctions.
At the same time, the EU ban on the transshipment of Russian LNG in Europe came into effect on March 26, after which none of the three ships delivered cargo to Europe, but headed to China and Taiwan.
- On May 20, the Council of the European Union adopted the 17th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation for its full-scale aggression against Ukraine. The new package of sanctions includes almost 200 vessels of the shadow fleet.
- On the same day, the United Kingdom expanded sanctions against Russia in response to the largest drone attack on Ukraine.
- The EU also imposed sanctions against Russia for the first time for its use of chemical weapons in Ukraine.