Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to enhance targeted sanctions against vessels in Russia's shadow fleet; and whether he plans to align his Department's vessel designations with those of the United States.

Since gaining the power to 'specify' individual vessels in May 2024, the UK has sanctioned 25 tankers transporting Russian oil as part of Putin's shadow fleet; a higher number than that undertaken by partners over the same period. This has disrupted Russia's efforts to undermine our oil sanctions, leaving the majority of these vessels struggling to re-enter the Russian oil trade and intensifying the pressure we have placed on Russian revenues. We have also sanctioned five vessels involved in the Russian LNG sector. We continue to step up our efforts, working closely with partners including the US, to ensure effectiveness and impact.