The UK has provided £35 million of emergency support to help
Ukraine repair its energy grid and support the most vulnerable
through a third winter of war, the Prime Minister has announced
today.
It comes as the UK also reinforces its iron-clad support for
Ukraine by launching fresh sanctions targeting Russia's energy
sector. Today's sanctions target 20 shadow fleet ships
carrying illicit Russian oil, including Ocean Faye, Andaman Skies
and Mianzimu, which have each carried more than four million
barrels of Russian oil in 2024.
Key lynchpins in enabling the trading of Putin's precious oil,
2Rivers DMCC and 2Rivers PTE LTD have also been slapped with
sanctions. These new measures will further drain Putin's war
chest, by clamping down on the oil revenues he so desperately
needs to fuel his illegal war and put those who enable Russia's
oil exports on notice.
The UK has now sanctioned over 100 ships for transporting Russian
energy, including 93 oil tankers, more than any other
nation. Due to sustained efforts to lead the charge against
the shadow fleet, its ships are left idling uselessly outside
ports, which is costing Putin and his war effort millions in
wasted funds.
As the UK continues to bear down on the Kremlin, we are also
working to protect against shadow fleet activity in the Baltic
and North Sea. The UK has already spearheaded new action to
challenge suspected shadow vessels passing through the English
Channel to provide proof of insurance.
It comes as Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Finland, and Estonia,
alongside the UK, have now agreed to work together to challenge
suspected shadow vessels in the same way along the Baltic route,
and in doing so hold shadow vessels and their enablers to account
for the risks they pose and the support they provide to Russia's
war machine.
This new drive for an international crack down on Putin's illicit
oil shipping delivers on the Prime Minister's commitment to
tackle the shadow fleet at the EPC earlier this year.
It follows the worst period of Russian missile attacks since the
start of the full-scale invasion, with an attack last month
believed to have left a million Ukrainians without
electricity.
Prime Minister said:
“As Putin's oil revenues continue to fuel the fires of his
illegal war, Ukrainian families are enduring cold, dark nights,
often without heating, light or electricity, targeted by Russia's
relentless missile attacks.
“But these systematic attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure
will not grind Ukraine down. It will only deepen our resolve and
support.
“These sanctions will add further pressure to Putin's
stalling war economy, just as we strengthen Ukraine's hand with
new funding for emergency support to meet its humanitarian needs
and for vital repairs to the energy system, to help Ukrainians
living through the third winter of Russia's illegal full-scale
invasion.”
The package of funding support includes a £20 million uplift to
support emergency energy needs, as well as support for carrying
out vital repairs to the electricity transmission network and
providing further power generation capacity and critical
protection for energy infrastructure.
This includes a project to generate an additional 20MW of power
supply, enough to provide power to up to 20,000 homes.
A further £15 million will provide lifesaving humanitarian
support to the most in need as temperatures in Ukraine plummet,
while £5m will go to UNICEF to provide basic necessities. The UK
is also reinforcing its iron-clad support for Ukraine by
launching fresh sanctions targeting Russia's energy sector today.
£10 million will be delivered through UNHCR to provide more than
21,000 families with rapid thermal kits, shelter repairs, and
additional cash payments for winter, as well as generators and
support to local winterisation of collective centres housing
vulnerable people who have been displaced from their homes by
Russian aggression.
Russia has launched 11 large scale attacks on Ukraine's energy
infrastructure in 2024. Since the start of the full-scale
invasion, at least two thirds of power generation has been
damaged or destroyed. As winter bites, Ukrainians are suffering
without power, lacking light and heating in sub-zero temperatures
and dark evenings.
More than 14.6 million Ukrainians require humanitarian
assistance, as months of attacks force more and more people from
their homes. The UK's funding will support communities to stem
displacement.
More than two thirds of Ukraine's energy generation capacity has
been occupied, damaged or destroyed.
Notes to editors:
- The UK's support to Ukraine is detailed here: UK support to Ukraine:
factsheet - GOV.UK
- The Nordic-Baltic 8+ joint statement detailing a coordinated
approach to requesting proof of insurance from suspected shadow
vessels can be found here: [LINK]
- Sanctioned today are:
-
- 2Rivers DMCC
- 2Rivers PTE LTD
- IMO 9296822 (“SAGITTA”)
- IMO 9408205 (“FAST KATHY”)
- IMO 9248801 (“MU DAN”)
- IMO 9321689 (“OCEAN FAYE”)
- IMO 9318539 (“SWIFTSEA RIDER”)
- IMO 9282479 (“MINERVA M”)
- IMO 9288693 (“ANDAMAN SKIES”)
- IMO 9257022 (“LACONIA”)
- IMO 9253325 (“NURKEZ”)
- IMO 9292981 (“SAGAR VIOLET”)
- IMO 9292503 (“BULL”)
- IMO 9288746 (“MARATHON”)
- IMO 9281011 (“MOTI”)
- IMO 9258868 (“ASHER”)
- IMO 9332781 (“LANG YA”)
- IMO 9323986 (“GARASAN”)
- IMO 9255660 (“PONTUS I”)
- IMO 9271951 (“FACCA”)
- IMO 9299666 (“MIANZIMU”)
- IMO 9293155 (“JUNIA”)
