In February 2026 the UK unveiled its largest sanctions package since early 2022. Announced nearly 300 new measures targeting Russia’s energy revenues and military suppliers. This sweeping action hits the Transneft oil pipeline company and dozens of oil tankers in Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet.” It also sanctions 175 companies in the Dubai-based 2Rivers network of illicit oil traders.
UK officials timed the announcement with the fourth anniversary of the Ukraine war. The Foreign Office highlighted that PJSC Transneft – responsible for carrying over 80% of Russia’s crude exports – is now sanctioned. British ministers also targeted Russia’s shadow oil trading networks. They imposed sanctions on 175 companies linked to the “2Rivers” oil group. The Dubai-based trading network which they say is “one of the world’s largest shadow-fleet operators” and a major trader of Russian crude.
Beyond companies, the UK went after shipping directly. The package designates 48 oil tankers as sanctioned. These are mostly older vessels in the Russian shadow fleet. The tankers that often run with minimal insurance and switch flags to evade controls. In the Government’s words, “deterring, disrupting and degrading the Russian shadow fleet remains a priority.”
So these 48 ships have been added to the sanctions list to signal that even covert oil shipments will not be allowed.
UK sanctions against shadow fleet – key targets
The term “shadow fleet” refers to a network of ageing oil tankers that transport Russian crude outside official channels. Most of these ships are over 15 years old and often sail under flags of convenience with their tracking transponders switched off. They carry sanctioned oil to buyers like China and India at steep discounts. According to maritime sources, this fleet includes hundreds of vessels added since 2022 to bypass embargoes.
In the new sanctions, the UK explicitly named 175 firms in the 2Rivers network, which is believed to coordinate much of this shadow shipping. These companies were sanctioned for facilitating the sales and transfers of Russian oil outside the price-cap system. The UK press release notes that 2Rivers is a “dark web of illicit oil traders” and sanctions on it will target the supply lines of Russia’s shadow traders. By hitting 2Rivers, Britain aims to cut off the middlemen who arrange secret ship-to-ship transfers at sea.
Alongside the trading network, 48 oil tankers were added to the UK sanctions list. These are the very ships often referred to as the “shadow fleet.” They are mostly older Suezmax and Aframax tankers, lightly insured and sometimes repainted or renamed to hide their origin. According to Reuters, these 48 vessels were “identified as part of efforts to curb Russia’s ‘shadow fleet’”. By blacklisting them, the UK is warning that any tanker carrying sanctioned Russian crude will be tracked and penalized.
For mariners and ship crews, this crackdown raises practical risks.
SeaEmploy.com reports that shadow-fleet tankers “can suddenly turn from quiet sanctions stories into very real safety and pollution concerns”. In fact, last year saw incidents where Ukrainian forces struck shadow-fleet vessels in the Black Sea. The new UK measures mean such ships could be detained or seized if they enter ports under sanctions. SeaEmploy.com advises crews to check vessel ownership, flag, insurance status and AIS signals before boarding.
Transneft pipeline firm targeted
One headline-grabbing part of the package is the sanction on Transneft, the state-owned pipeline operator. The Foreign Office statement made clear that Transneft moves “over 80% of Russian oil exports.”
Sanctioning it will “hamper the Kremlin’s desperate scramble to find buyers for its sanctioned oil”. In practice, UK sanctions will freeze any Transneft assets in Britain and ban UK companies from dealing with it. Transneft has already been under U.S. sanctions since 2014, but this new UK measure cuts additional international support.
Analysts note that Parallely, the UK package goes after other energy sectors. For example, sanctions also hit firms tied to Russia’s LNG exports and nuclear sector. But Transneft stands out because disrupting pipeline flows strikes at the heart of Russia’s crude export system. By combining Transneft with the shadow-fleet measures, Britain aims to squeeze both the official and illicit routes by which Russian oil reaches the world market.
In total, these measures bring the number of UK sanctions targeting Russia to over 3,000 individuals, companies and ships. UK ministers argue that Russian oil revenues are now at their lowest since 2020 thanks to such sanctions.
