Idled Tankers Show Fresh EU Sanctions on Russia Ships Will Bite
- Russian tankers have gathered near the country’s ports
- Ships are taking time to be put back to work after sanctions
Nearly two-thirds of tankers already sanctioned by Western nations for involvement in the Russian oil trade remain idle after being added to the lists of banned vessels.
Photographer: Ali Mohammadi/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
In the icy waters east of Vladivostok, the oil tankers Kazan, Ligovsky Prospect and Kareliya have been stuck doing nothing ever since they were sanctioned by the US more than a year ago for their roles in transporting Russian oil.
While the 820-foot vessels have been stuck longer than any others tied to Moscow’s petroleum trade, they’re emblematic of the impact that western sanctions — particularly those applied by Washington — are having on the tankers delivering Russian petroleum.