U.K. Sanctions Russia’s New Arctic LNG Fleet in War Economy Crackdown

June 16, 2026 Gazprom Britain on Tuesday became the first G7 country to sanction ships newly acquired by Russia to export liquefied natural gas from its sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project. The four targeted LNG ships were included in a broader sanctions package hitting 70 individuals and entities accused of propping up Russia’s war economy. “The U.K. is the first G7 country to sanction several LNG vessels recently acquired by Russia at great expense to service Russia’s sanctioned Arctic LNG 2 project,” the British government said in a statement. Britain also targeted more than 20 oil tankers, ship insurers and maritime service providers operating within Russia’s sanctions-evading “shadow fleet.” To date, London has sanctioned a total of 600 “shadow fleet” and Russian LNG vessels. The United States sanctioned the Arctic LNG 2 project as production began at the end of 2023, prompting its foreign shareholders to suspend their participation. Britain later joined the U.S. sanctions by adding the project to its asset freeze registry. According to the British government, those sanctions have successfully limited Russia to exporting just 1.3 million metric tons of LNG through Arctic LNG 2 in 2025 despite its annual capacity of 13.5 million tons. Targeting what U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer called “money and actors propping up Russia’s war economy,” the latest measures also hit Yandex Bank, Wildberries Bank, 10 GRU military intelligence officers and a GRU front company, Neptune, suspected of covertly procuring Western technology for the Russian military. Mirroring a similar European Union sanctions package a day earlier, Britain also penalized third-country military equipment suppliers based in China, Turkey and Thailand, alongside a Nigerian financial entity accused of facilitating Russia’s sanctions evasion. Read more about: Sanctions , United Kingdom , LNG Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Feature Bill Browder: It’s Time to Make Putin Pay for His War The Kremlin critic talks overcoming sanctions fatigue, improving the Magnitsky Act and what to do with Russia’s frozen assets. 8 Min read U.K. Jails Russian Ex-Minister in First Sanctions Breach Case Dmitrii Ovsiannikov was found guilty earlier this week of six counts of sanctions evasion related to his role in Russian-occupied Crimea. 2 Min read European Imports of Russian LNG Hit 'Record Levels' in 2024 European ports received 17.8 million tons of LNG from Russia in 2024, over 2 million tons more than in 2023, The Guardian reported. 2 Min read Family of Russian Kamikaze Drones' Creator Own Elite London Property – Investigation Alexander Zakharov's firm was placed under U.K. sanctions for supplying drones for the invasion of Ukraine, but he and his family have not been blacklisted... 2 Min read