Britain expands the scope of sanctions imposed on Russia.

The British government announced today, Friday, May 9, a new package of sanctions targeting around 100 oil tankers belonging to the Russian "Shadow Fleet," in addition to freezing assets of several senior officials of the energy company "Two Rivers Group," formerly known as "Coral Energy Group."

This move coincided with a high-level military meeting in Norway.

The list of sanctioned individuals includes: Ahmed Karimov, Taher Qaraiev, Anar Madatli, Talat Safurov, I'tibar Ayub, due to their "support for the Russian government or benefiting from it," according to the official notice issued by London.

These individuals held managerial positions in "Coral Energy Group," which later changed its name to "Two Rivers Group" after Safurov, Karimov, and Madatli acquired it in 2024.

Taher Qaraiev founded the company in 2010, which had offices in Dubai and Singapore. Britain emphasized that the activities of "Coral Energy" are linked to the energy sector, which is "strategically important for Russia."

This is not the first targeting of the company, as Britain had imposed sanctions on "Two Rivers Group" in December 2024, and the company then expressed "deep disappointment" with the decision.