British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has announced that the United Kingdom is preparing another round of sanctions against Russian shadow fleets as part of the latest efforts to increase the pressure on Russia in its war in Ukraine.

Mr Starmer disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday as the G7 summit kicked off in Evian, France, noting that the UK has stepped up its support for Ukraine in recent weeks by providing military equipment and critical energy resources to help the country maintain its battlefield capability against Russia.

“The UK is set to power Ukraine for the next two years and announce a new swathe of sanctions today [TUE] as the Prime Minister steps up support to ensure Ukraine can continue to fight for as long as it takes

“The prime minister directed officials in recent weeks to step up support for Ukraine across every dimension, from military equipment to vital energy support and pressure on Putin’s war machine to ensure Ukraine’s momentum on the battlefield is sustained into next winter,” the statement said.

The new round of sanctions set to be announced is expected to majorly target Russian shadow fleets, which the country has covertly been using to transport oil and other commodities to bypass international sanctions imposed on Moscow over the war in Ukraine.

The announcement came 24 hours after the United States military boarded and seized one of the suspected Russian shadow ships in English waters on Monday.

UK’s secretary of state for defence, Dan Jarvis, said in an oral statement at the UK Parliament on Tuesday that the operation was the first of its kind and lasted for six hours.

“In the early hours of the morning, 25 miles south off the Isle of Wight, Royal Marine Commandos fast roped – under the cover of darkness – onto the deck of the SMYRTOS.

“A 244-metre-long oil tanker which, at the time of interception, was travelling at 10 knots. Within a matter of minutes, our Marines had seized control of the vessel without resistance,” Mr Jarvis stated.

He disclosed that one 38-year-old Indian national was arrested on suspicion of sanctions offences, while the remaining 24 crew members were still onboard the ship and were assisting the government in its search.

Mr Jarvis added that Russia has over 700 vessels used to transport its oil around the world, and with 550 of them already sanctioned, the next round of embargo will increase the figure to more than 600.

“Russia’s aggression threatens not just Ukraine, but the security of all Europe. That is why the UK is stepping up—choking off the revenues that fuel Putin’s war and powering Ukraine through the winters ahead.

“We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, and this announcement reinforces that. Putin should roll back his tanks, end his barbaric strikes, and come to the negotiating table,” Mr Starmer stated.