Ukraine war: Japan’s new sanctions on Russia target oil exports

Japan's government announced fresh sanctions against Russia on Friday, specifically targeting a fleet of vessels involved in transporting sanctioned oil from the nation. This move is part of the country's ongoing efforts to curb sanctions evasion by the fleet, which includes cargo ships and tankers. According to the Foreign Ministry, 35 vessels will now be restricted from receiving services such as insurance, maritime transport, crew employment, and repairs.

These vessels are suspected of ferrying Russian crude oil to countries like China and India, providing a significant revenue source for Moscow. Additionally, Japan has imposed restrictions on payments and transactions involving 33 entities and nine individuals linked to Russia. Further, 102 goods have been added to the list of items subject to export prohibitions to Russia.

The sanctions also target four entities based in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. This initiative aims to diminish Russia's war funding capabilities as it continues its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Japan, in line with other Group of Seven members, has imposed economic sanctions, including the freezing of assets of Russian President Vladimir Putin and other individuals.

The latest sanctions followed a day after Putin expressed interest in fostering "mutually beneficial" relations with Japan once current challenges are addressed. However, the country remains embroiled in a dispute with Russia over Russian-held Japanese-claimed islands off Hokkaido, known as the Northern Territories by Tokyo and the Southern Kurils by Moscow.

In August, Putin made his first presidential visit to one of the islands, further straining bilateral relations.