Britain's latest sanctions package now covers more than 90% of Russia's oil production capacity, the UK government said on October 8 — even as Washington weighs easing tanker restrictions to cool record-high freight rates.

The package of 38 sanctions targets adds two energy companies, Zarubezhneft and INK Capital, a dozen shadow-fleet tankers, and the financial networks Moscow uses to move money around Western restrictions. Their addition follows earlier designations against Russia's largest producers, including Rosneft and Lukoil.

The move lands at a moment when London and Washington are visibly diverging on Russian oil policy. Reuters reported Wednesday that the Trump administration is considering allowing previously sanctioned tankers to carry oil and petroleum products not themselves subject to US sanctions — with companies required to obtain Treasury Department authorization. Britain, meanwhile, is pushing allies to tighten the screws on shipping services supporting Russia's trade.

The split matters commercially. Even if Washington relaxes rules on some tankers, vessels and their commercial partners could still fall under British and European measures — potentially limiting access to insurance and other shipping services regardless of what the US does.

What's actually in the package?

The October 8 action targets:

• Two oil companies: Zarubezhneft and INK Capital
• 12 shadow-fleet tankers, previously reported by gCaptain, bringing Britain's total sanctioned shadow-fleet oil tankers to more than 600
• Three cryptocurrency exchanges, two payment platforms and one individual linked to financial transactions, several connected to Kyrgyzstan
• 17 individuals and entities for supplying machine tools, electronics and other components Western governments consider important to Russia's ballistic missile and drone programs

Among the newly listed vessels is the 22-year-old product tanker Dakar, which was making a late-season voyage along Russia's Northern Sea Route. The designation comes amid growing use of the Arctic corridor by older, sanctioned vessels hauling Russian energy exports to Asian buyers.

On the financial side, two of the targeted platforms have processed transactions involving the Kremlin-backed A7 financial network, according to the UK Foreign Office. That network claimed to have moved more than $90 billion last year — an amount Britain said equals roughly half of Russia's annual military spending.

Does 90% coverage mean 90% less oil?

No. The government's figure refers to production capacity under sanctions, not barrels stopped. Russian oil continues to reach international markets through trading and shipping networks that have adapted to Western restrictions. British officials say the broader coverage aims not only to cut Russian oil revenues but to make it harder for sanctioned producers to sell crude through companies that have not yet been blacklisted.

The UK also flagged that some suppliers have used third countries to conceal trade with Russia — underscoring how hard it is to restrict goods that pass through multiple intermediaries before reaching Russian manufacturers.

What does the split mean for tanker markets?

The widening sanctions campaign hits a tanker market already stretched thin. Freight rates have surged as conflict in the Middle East disrupts shipping and raises demand for available tonnage.

The US Department of Energy has said any relief would not help Russia transport its oil. But European and British restrictions would continue to apply independently — a key constraint on any vessel hoping to re-enter mainstream trades.

Britain's finance minister, John Healey, on Thursday called for tougher international restrictions on maritime services supporting Russia's shadow fleet, underscoring the widening gap between the two countries' approaches. The discussions follow President Donald Trump's decision to temporarily lift restrictions on Russian diesel, another measure aimed at easing pressure on global energy markets.

For carriers, forwarders and cargo interests, the takeaway is a sanctions environment growing more fragmented, not less. Shippers routing petroleum through older tonnage face a patchwork: a possible US green light on one side, UK and EU blacklists on the other — with more than 600 shadow-fleet tankers already designated by Britain alone.

With London urging allies to go further and Washington weighing relief, the divergence between the two regimes looks set to deepen, keeping compliance risk elevated for any operator touching Russian-origin crude or products.