The administration of US President Joe Biden announced its most far-reaching sanctions against Russia's energy sector today, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
The aim of the US measures is to cut off Russian revenues from the sale of oil and natural gas used for Moscow's military aggression against Ukraine.
These measures are "the most significant sanctions yet against the Russian energy sector, which is the largest source of revenue for the Kremlin's military machine", a senior Biden administration official told journalists.
The US Treasury Department is imposing sanctions on Russian companies "Gazpromneft" and "Surgutgazneft", which produce and sell oil. The sanctions also hit 183 sea vessels that transport Russian oil. Many of them are part of the so-called Russian "shadow fleet". These are relatively old tankers that are owned by companies that trade in Russian oil, bypassing sanctions against Russia.
The new US measures are also aimed at "networks" of individuals and companies that trade in Russian oil.
If the sanctions are implemented correctly, they should cost Russia billions of dollars a month, according to representatives of the Biden administration.
For its part, Britain announced today that it is imposing new sanctions against the Russian energy companies "Gazpromneft" and "Surgutgazneft". Measures include asset freezes and "transport sanctions", the British Foreign Office said in a statement.