This measure specifically targets Russia's "shadow fleet" of tankers, with 43 more ships added to the sanction list, bringing the total to 640 designated tankers.
Note: while the EU is cracking down on Russian oil, it has significantly increased its import of Russian liquefied natural gas
In January 2026, EU buyers purchased 92.6% of Russia's Yamal LNG production, totaling 1.6 million tons, an 8% increase over January 2025. This reliance on Russian LNG is set to continue until a scheduled EU ban on LNG imports from Russia takes effect on January 1, 2027