The noose of international sanctions is tightening, and Russian shadow fleets, missile components supply chains and oil revenues have become the core targets of the new round of strikes in the Western camp.

On September 12, British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a statement in Kiev, announcing 100 additional sanctions against Russia. On the same day, the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also announced a sanctions plan against 62 Russian and Belarusian entities and individuals.

At the same time, the EU has completed the formulation of the 19th round of sanctions plan against Russia. New Zealand has also joined this wave of sanctions, lowering the cap on Russian oil prices and sanctioning 19 entities and individuals and 19 ships. This unprecedented coordinated action marks a new stage in the Western camp's economic encirclement of Russia.

British strikes hard, locking in shadow fleets and war suppliers

The 100 new sanctions announced by the UK on Friday were called "a critical step to cut off Russian war funds." These measures target two core goals: Russia's oil revenue system and military supply chain.

70 ships were blacklisted, marking that Britain imposed more Russian ships than any other country. These ships are called "shadow fleets" and are specifically used to transport Russian crude oil, helping Moscow avoid international sanctions and price cap policies. These tankers have a total load capacity of more than 4.8 million tons, generating billions of dollars in revenue for Russia each year.

The UK National Crime Investigation found that these vessels use complex evasion methods: turning off transponders, conducting ship-to-ship transfers, and frequent changes in registration information and ownership structures. A tanker named "Ghost Voyager" has changed its name three times in the past 18 months and the registered country has changed it four times, but has been transporting Russian crude oil.

In addition to maritime measures, the UK has imposed sanctions on 30 individuals and entities accused of providing key components to Moscow. The list includes China's Shenzhen Blue Hat International Trade and its Russian co-owner, as well as Turkey's Mastel Makina Ithalat Ihracat and its Azerbaijan CEO.

These companies provide electronic equipment for Russian Iskander and Kh-101 missiles and drones, according to the British government. In a British investigation, it said that there was an ordinary Hong Kong trading company that exported US$12 million worth of high-precision machine tools and microelectronics to Russia, and these devices were eventually used to produce cruise missiles.

These precision strikes are designed to paralyze the production capacity of Russia's precision-guided weapons. "We are systematically breaking down Russia's network of accessing key technologies," said the British Ministry of Commerce and Trade officials.

Japan's precise sanctions involve third-party enterprises

The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on September 12, "In view of the situation in Ukraine", Japan will impose sanctions on 52 Russian entities and 10 individuals, and at the same time include 3 Belarusian entities on the sanctions list. This is the 25th round of sanctions imposed by Japan since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, showing the Kishida government's firm position on this issue.

The Japanese government takes restrictive measures on the payment and capital transactions of the above entities. The relevant operations require special permission from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the same time, Japan also imposed export restrictions on two Russia and nine Belarusian entities. The listed companies include subsidiaries of Russian defense industry giant Rostec and several aerospace companies.

It is worth noting that Japan lowered the price limit of Russian crude oil from $60 per barrel to $47.6. The decision took effect immediately from September 12, and New Zealand has also implemented a sanctions plan similar to that. According to data from the Japanese Ministry of Finance, this price level is close to the production cost of Russian Ural crude oil, which will greatly compress Russia's profit margin.

Japan's sanctions list also three companies in the Seychelles and Marshall Islands, as well as nine companies from the UAE, Turkey and China on the list of export control entities. This extension of sanctions on third-party companies suggests that the Western camp is tightening the sanctions network.

An official from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan revealed: ">"We found that some companies transported high-precision machine tools and semiconductor equipment produced in Japan to Russia by setting up shell companies in Central Asia and Eastern European countries. "Japan's exports of CNC machine tools to Kazakhstan suddenly increased by 300%, and the survey showed that these equipment eventually flowed into Russian military-industrial enterprises.

Challenges of energy game and price cap mechanism

The oil price cap mechanism is a core component of the Western sanctions strategy, but the implementation effect is facing severe challenges. Data from the International Energy Agency showed that Russia's crude oil export revenue increased by 19% month-on-month to US$15.3 billion in the second quarter of 2025.

The US$60 price cap set by the G7 has been widely circumvented, and Russia has established a "shadow fleet" of more than 600 old tankers that use insurance services other than Western insurance companies. Data shows that currently less than 50% of Russian crude oil transportation uses Western insurance services.

Russia circumvents price restrictions in a variety of ways:Provides freight rates above market levels, conducts ship-to-ship transshipments, uses encrypted communications and shuts down ship transponders. A tanker carrying Russian crude oil often undergoes multiple reselling.The final document shows that the source of the crude oil has become "unknown origin" or "mixed crude oil".

New Zealand lowered the price ceiling to US$47.6 this time, precisely for these avoidance measures. This price level is close to the production and transportation costs of Russian Ural crude oil, which will make it difficult for Russia to make profits. But analysts question whether this measure can be effectively implemented without the cooperation of China and India.

China and India currently purchase more than 80% of Russian sea crude oil, and the payment price is usually between $55-65. The two countries provide guarantees for these transactions through their own insurance companies and tanker fleets, completely bypassing the Western financial system.

Sanctions are still being increased. The EU has completed the formulation of the 19th round of sanctions against Russia. New Zealand has also reduced the cap on Russian crude oil prices from US$60 per barrel to US$47.60, and sanctioned 19 entities, individuals and 19 ships.

This economic war is entering a new stage: The Western camp has shifted from widespread sanctions to precise strikes, focusing on energy income and technology supply chains; Russia is constantly adapting and developing means of avoidance. The game between the two sides in the fields of finance, energy and technology will reshape the global economic and security landscape.

The noose of financial sanctions is tightening, but the game is far from over. The future competition will depend more on the positions of middle-class countries and whether the global southern countries cooperate with Western sanctions—An economic war without gunpowder is redefining the international power pattern in the 21st century.

Information source:

Information stated that as part of the additional sanctions measures, Japan lowered the Russian oil price ceiling to US$47.6 per barrel—Hexun.com

The UK sanctions three Chinese entities on the grounds of Russia. Our embassy: Urge the UK to revoke it immediately—Observer.com