The United States and the United Kingdom imposed further sanctions on Russia's energy sector on Friday in an attempt to curb funding for Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The US Treasury Department said it was designating two of Russia's largest oil companies, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, fulfilling "the G7 commitment to reduce Russian revenues from energy."
The sanctions also apply to 183 vessels that the US government believes are part of Moscow's "shadow fleet" of ships allegedly used to evade existing sanctions on the transport of Russian oil, as reported by DW.
In addition, the measures target specific projects and infrastructure for liquefied natural gas, as well as subcontractors, service providers, traders and maritime insurers, the Treasury Department said.
Meanwhile, the UK government imposed sanctions on Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas, accusing their profits of "filling (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's war chest and supporting the war" in Ukraine.
"Taking on Russian oil companies will drain Russia's war chest and every ruble we take from Putin's hands helps save Ukrainian lives," British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said.
The Foreign Office said that between them the two companies produce more than 1 million barrels of oil a day, worth $23 billion (€22.4 billion) a year.
The UK has already sanctioned nearly 100 ships in Russia's oil-carrying "shadow fleet" as Ukraine's Western allies seek to increase economic pressure on Moscow ahead of negotiations to end the war.
The US administration chose this time, just 10 days before President Joe Biden leaves office, to take tougher action on oil because concerns about global oil markets have eased, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said.
Biden told reporters he expected the move could cost drivers "three, four cents a gallon" at the pump.
Biden administration officials said it will ultimately be up to President-elect Donald Trump's administration to decide whether to keep or scrap the new sanctions.
Bd-pratidin English/ Afia
