Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps her Department is taking to strengthen sanctions enforcement against vessels, operators, insurers and service providers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet.

We recently enhanced our powers to impose additional prohibitions when sanctioning vessels, including prohibitions of certain services, including insurance services, relating to specified ships. Our sanctions form one part of our broader efforts to tackle the shadow fleet. We assess that our efforts, alongside our partners, have contributed to an estimated 200 oil tankers ceasing their trade. These unused ships are costing Putin and his war effort billions in wasted funds.