London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Oct 06, 2025

Ukraine sanctions: UK dockers refuse tanker of Russian gas

Ukraine sanctions: UK dockers refuse tanker of Russian gas

Dockers in Kent have refused to unload two tankers of Russian gas, forcing them to go elsewhere, a union has said.

The Boris Vilkitsky and Fedor Litke have been diverted from the Isle of Grain, the largest terminal in Europe for importing liquefied natural gas.

Unison head of energy Matt Lay said staff were "determined to support the Ukrainian people and uphold the sanctions imposed against Russia".

However, there are concerns over a loophole in the current sanctions.

UK Transport Secretary Grant Shapps announced on Tuesday that the UK had become the first country to pass a law banning ships with "any Russian connection" from entering its ports.

Mr Lay said: "Sadly, this doesn't seem to be the case."

"The Department for Transport rules only appear to cover the ownership and operators of vessels, not the cargo."

The Isle of Grain LNG is the largest terminal in Europe for importing liquefied natural gas


The two tankers contain enough liquid gas to supply the UK for up to 12 days.

The ships are sailing under the flag of Cyprus. Many ship owners opt to use a flag of another country for taxation or regulatory reasons.

Mr Lay added: "The government must act immediately to stop Russian goods continuing to arrive in the UK under the cover of another country."

A National Grid Spokesperson said: "In line with government policy, we do not expect any Russian-linked ships to dock at Grain."


Analysis

By Simon Browning, BBC News Business Correspondent

As the ground war in Ukraine continues, an economic offensive with Russia is under way.

Western governments have united during the last week to enforce broad sanctions on the Russian economy, its businesses and their leaders. Western retailers have pulled back too. But how effective are sanctions?

Blocking Russian vessels alone in this scenario may not be enough as many Russian businesses use transport that is licensed and registered in other countries, such as Cyprus, Hong Kong or The Bahamas. Experts say this is a loophole in sanction enforcement.

The rule of law is important here, because on what grounds would you block a vessel in line with Russian sanctions that is flagged in Cyprus or another country?

An enormous amount of due diligence would also need to be applied to every vessel movement and what the vessels are carrying. This would require huge amounts of enforcement, which sanctions experts say is substantial and complicated.

A spokesman for the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy said the sanctions apply to ships that are Russian owned, operated, controlled, registered or flagged.

He added: "Ministers are exploring options to further reduce the already small amount of imports we do get from Russia and we continue to urge Europe to put in place plans to end their dependence in Russian gas."

Julian Bray, editor-in-chief of international shipping newspaper TradeWinds, said: "While the cargoes themselves are not sanctioned, the ships are. And the number of ships is very wide, and can be added to ad hoc.

"The sanctions have effectively paralysed shipping to and from Russia. The legal uncertainties, risks to crews, insurance costs, and the potential financial and reputational risks means that very few ships and cargoes are moving."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
Nvidia Pledges Up to $100 Billion Investment in OpenAI to Power Massive AI Data Center Build-Out
U.S. Signals ‘Large and Forceful’ Support for Argentina Amid Market Turmoil
×