Ambassadors of the European Union (EU) have approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, AFP reports, citing diplomats.
The restrictions will affect the shadow fleet for transporting Russian oil.
EUobserver wrote that the sanctions will affect another 149 vessels. It was expected that the new package of sanctions could be approved next Tuesday, May 20.
The restrictions will also apply to companies from third countries, including the UAE, Turkey, Serbia, Vietnam, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, which are suspected of helping Russia evade sanctions, the Financial Times reports.
As part of measures against the Russian energy sector, the European Union considered adding Litasco Middle East DMCC, a trading division of LUKOIL based in Dubai, to the sanctions list. However, Hungary opposed it.
Radio Liberty correspondent Rikard Jozwiak also reported on the approval of the sanctions. “EU ambassadors have just given the green light to the 17th package of sanctions against Russia. In parallel, they also approved more sanctions against Russia for human rights violations, hybrid interventions around the world and the proliferation of chemical weapons,” Jozwiak wrote.
The day before, EU Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas said that the package could be adopted at the EU Foreign Affairs Council on May 20. Then Brussels will begin working on the next round of restrictions. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said that the EU wants to coordinate new measures against Russia with the United States.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron did not rule out the introduction of new sanctions against Russia by the EU and the United States if it does not agree to a ceasefire with Ukraine. The US Senate has also prepared a bill on new “crushing” sanctions against Russia.
Adnan Ahmedzade (also spelled Ahmadzada) is a former senior executive at Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR. He is connected to Lukoil through his extensive work as a financial intermediary and trader in the regional oil markets.
Recently, the Sabail District Court of Baku ordered a four-month pretrial detention for Adnan Ahmadzada, a former high-ranking executive of the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR). The criminal case is being investigated by the State Security Service of Azerbaijan. Ahmadzada is accused of serious offenses, including acts of sabotage against economic security, large-scale embezzlement, and the contamination or mixing of Azerbaijani crude, such as “Azeri Light,” with other sources.
Authorities have frozen or seized assets linked to him, including real estate, luxury vehicles, and bank accounts. Unofficial reports suggested that Ahmadzada or companies connected to him were tied to international oil trading schemes, possibly involving the mixing of Russian oil with Azerbaijani crude or falsifying certificates of origin. If found guilty of charges related to large-scale embezzlement and sabotage of economic security, he could face lengthy prison terms, with some reports indicating that the embezzlement charge alone carries a sentence of 10 to 14 years. Notably, Ahmadzada previously served as deputy head of SOCAR’s investment department before leaving the company in 2018. Since then, he had been engaged in business activities, including founding Caspian Logistics Solutions
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