EL7.AI
GeopoliticsMedium•13 November 2026•
3 min read

UK sanctions Russia’s 10 largest oil producers and lists 20 additions

Key Facts

1The 12 November 2026 notice recorded 20 additions and one amendment to the sanctions list.
2Russia’s seaborne exports of crude and petroleum products were 4.9 million barrels a day in August 2026, down 6.1% month on month and 12.4% year on year.
3Russia used 258 tankers to export oil in August 2026, including 166 shadow fleet vessels, or 64%.

The UK government announced on 12 November that it was imposing sanctions on Russia’s 10 largest oil producers, a move it said made the UK the first country to target the entire group. The sanctions notice recorded 20 additions and one amendment to the Russia list, including Slavneft, with measures covering asset freezes and restrictions on credit and related services. The government said Slavneft operates in Russia’s strategically important energy sector. The package extended beyond producers to vessels carrying Russian oil and liquefied natural gas, major coal companies and Rosneft’s Vostok Oil project. The measures, according to the government, target multiple links in the energy revenue chain, from production and trading networks to supply chains and maritime transport.

Slavneft’s listing is part of a gradual expansion of UK sanctions on Russia’s oil sector. On 8 October, the government said the addition of two oil companies had raised sanctions coverage to more than 90% of Russia’s oil production capacity. The November package adds a broader targeting of producers to that effort, alongside vessels and activities linked to energy exports. London says pressure on transport, trading and supply networks complements restrictions on producing companies. Prime Minister Andy Burnham had called for continued pressure on Russia, alongside efforts to secure a full and immediate ceasefire, at the European Political Community summit in Dublin.

Shipping data show the scale of the flows the measures seek to constrain. Russia’s seaborne exports of crude oil and petroleum products reached about 4.9 million barrels a day in August 2026, down 6.1% from July and 12.4% from August 2025, according to the KSE Institute. Russia used 258 tankers to export oil in the same month, including 166 shadow fleet vessels, equivalent to 64% of the total number of tankers used. This points to the continued role of the unconventional fleet in carrying a large share of Russian shipments despite a decline in seaborne export volumes. China and India remain the main destinations for crude and petroleum products carried by the shadow fleet, accounting for 39% and 25%, respectively, in August.

Insurance remains one area monitored by sanctions authorities. In this context, the Razom We Stand group called for the measures to be expanded to include Gazprom and Novatek. It also called for an end to UK companies providing transport services for Russian crude oil and its products, coal and liquefied natural gas. These demands place transport and insurance services in the debate over the scope of restrictions on Russian energy trade.

On the political front, UK and European Union leaders discussed the Abu Dhabi talks on Ukraine, and the UK government said they had agreed to maintain their momentum over the coming weeks and months. Burnham had linked pressure on Moscow with efforts to secure a full and immediate ceasefire in Dublin. On sanctions, additions and changes to the UK list will remain a near-term focus following the 12 November notice. Shadow fleet vessels and transport and supply interests feature among the areas covered by the new package. Razom We Stand’s calls to extend restrictions to other companies and transport services will also remain on the agenda.