Kaja Kallas, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union. (Credit: John Thys/AFP.)
European Union formally adopted a 17th package of sanctions against Russia on Tuesday, targeting new "phantom" oil tankers used to skirt existing sanctions on Russian oil exports, announced EU's foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas.
"The EU has approved its 17th sanctions 'package' against Russia, targeting nearly 200 ships from its phantom fleet," she stated on X, during an EU Defense Ministers' meeting in Brussels. "More sanctions against Russia are in the works. The longer the war continues, the tougher our response will be," she asserted.
This new set, under discussion for several weeks, targets 189 new phantom ships employed by Russia and thirty entities accused of aiding Moscow in circumventing already implemented sanctions. In total, 342 ships are now under the European Union's scrutiny, according to a release from the 27 member states.
This "phantom" fleet, consisting mostly of outdated and unregistered ships, operates primarily in the Baltic Sea. These vessels typically function in secrecy, with crews often lacking experience.
Their numbers have surged since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, as the EU and Western sanctions aimed at Russian oil and petroleum exports to cut off Russia's revenue streams.
Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur estimated the number of these "phantom" ships at 500 on Tuesday, indicating to the press that the EU could still expand these sanctions.
An 18th "package" is already under negotiation among the 27, expected to target additional phantom tankers, according to diplomats. These new sanctions are separate from the "massive" ones anticipated should Moscow continue to reject a 30-day ceasefire already accepted by Kyiv and demanded by its Western allies.
For the first time, the EU adopted sanctions against Russia in response to its hybrid attacks. Some 21 individuals and six entities were targeted with these sanctions, which include asset freezes within the EU and entry bans.
Russia is accused of regularly conducting sabotage or so-called hybrid attacks in Europe, such as arsons, attacks on transportation, or assassination attempts against certain figures.