REUTERS/Tatiana MeelBritain said on Thursday it had imposed sanctions on 18 more Russian oil tankers and four liquefied natural gas vessels, the largest batch of sanctions to date against Russia's so-called "shadow fleet". Britain says the 'shadow fleet' uses illicit practices to avoid Western restrictions on Russian oil. The government said it was working with maritime authorities to demand that Russian vessels with suspected dubious insurance provide details of their insurance status as they pass through the English Channel. The 18 oil tankers will be barred from UK ports and unable to access British maritime services, bringing the total number of sanctioned Russian oil tankers to 43. The targeted oil tankers transported an estimated 4.9 billion pounds ($6.37 billion) worth of oil last year, it said.
