The ambassadors of the 27 Member States approved on Wednesday a 17th package of sanctions against Russia.
According to diplomatic sources, the EU is targeting new "ghost" tankers used to circumvent existing sanctions designed to limit Russian oil exports.
These new sanctions are separate from the "massive" sanctions being considered if Moscow refuses to negotiate and agree to a 30-day ceasefire, which has already been accepted by Kyiv and demanded by its Western allies.
The new package, which has been under discussion for several weeks, targets nearly 200 new ghost ships used by Russia and some 30 entities accused of helping Moscow circumvent existing sanctions.
In total, nearly 345 ships are now in the European Union's sights, according to these diplomats.
This "ghost" fleet, made up of often dilapidated and unregistered vessels, operates mainly in the Baltic Sea. They operate without Western insurance and with inexperienced crews.
Their numbers have skyrocketed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, after the EU and Western sanctions targeted Russian oil and petroleum product exports in order to dry up Russia's revenues.
According to a report by the Kyiv School of Economics, some 430 vessels have been identified as part of this "ghost" fleet worldwide.
