The UK has imposed new sanctions on Georgia-linked individuals and businesses backing Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine, aiming to disrupt the Kremlin’s network of international support. With Russia facing mounting setbacks in Ukraine, the Kremlin is increasingly relying on proxies in third countries, including Georgia, to sustain its war effort and propaganda operations.
Two oil tankers involved in transporting Russian oil to the Georgian port of Batumi, part of Russia’s so-called ‘shadow fleet’ of aging and unsafe vessels, have been sanctioned. They are now barred from UK ports and will be denied access to the UK Ship Register. Georgian politician and media mogul Levan Vasadze has been sanctioned for spreading pro-Russian disinformation, while businessman Otar Partskhaladze, with close ties to Russia and the Georgian Dream party, is also targeted. Businesses including Aeza International, which supports Russian disinformation campaigns, and HeliCo Group, operating in Russia’s transport sector, have also been sanctioned.
The UK has now imposed over 2,800 sanctions on Russia, targeting energy revenues and exposing the Kremlin’s global influence operations, while continuing strong support for Ukraine, including £142 million in new energy infrastructure funding. Minister of State Stephen Doughty emphasized that the UK will continue to cut off lifelines to those sustaining Russia’s war machine and hold the Kremlin accountable for its aggression.
The sanctions follow the UK downgrading its diplomatic ties with Georgia in 2024 after concerns over Kremlin-influenced legislation, crackdowns on civil society, and imprisonment of opposition figures.
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