The US on Sunday May 8th placed sanctions on seven Russian shipping companies and 69 of their vessels, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced at the weekend.
Blinken said that the US Treasury and the Department of State had sanctioned the Russian Ministry of Defence’s internal shipping company Oboronlogistika and six other shipping firms that move its military equipment.
The other six sanctioned shippers were:
- SC South LLC, an Oboronlogistika shipping subsidiary;
- Northern Shipping Co, which participates in Russian exercises and moves Russian military equipment (27 vessels);
- Transmorflot (16 vessels);
- M Leasing LLC;
- Marine Trans Shipping LLC;
- Nord Project LLC Transport Co.
All of these are alleged to have moved Russian weapons.
The Treasury also sanctioned hydrographic survey and dive company OOO Fertoing. The firm operates ROVs, performs complex marine surveys, and provides technical support for offshore oil and gas, pipelines and other high-end marine projects for the Russian government and its state-owned enterprises.
OOO Fertoing has played a role high-profile projects including the installation of the Prirazlomnaya offshore oil platform and the construction of the Siberian port of Sabetta. Fertoing will now be blocked from accessing US technology on the open market.
The US and EU sanctions on Sovcomflot, the largest shipping company in Russia, and United Shipbuilding Corp, the country’s largest and most sophisticated shipbuilder, have had an effect. Sovcomflot is trying to offload several of its vessels, given the fall-off in its revenue and bookings.