Russia sanctions: guidance
Statutory guidance for the Russia sanctions regime, plus a summary of its purposes, scope and prohibitions.
Documents
Details
The Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, and certain other regulations, are in force to meet the UK’s policy objectives.
This summary gives a quick overview of the sanctions in place under the regime. It is not comprehensive and is not a replacement for the statutory guidance or the regulations themselves.
Summary
The Russia sanctions are broad in scope.
Designated persons and specified ships
The UK Sanctions List tells you who is designated under the regime and which sanctions have been applied to them. A designated person can be an individual, a business or an organisation.
The statutory guidance lists in detail the sanctions that can apply in respect of designated persons, including:
- an asset freeze on their funds and other assets
- making available funds or economic resources to them
- director disqualification
- immigration sanction (travel ban)
- provision of internet services
Under this regime, ships can also be subject to sanctions, if they are specified on the UK Sanctions List or have certain connections with Russia or with persons designated for that purpose.
Wider financial and trade sanctions
As well as the sanctions that apply only in respect of designated persons, there are wider sanctions that apply to certain activities with links to Russia, including in respect of ‘persons connected with Russia’ (note ‘persons’ includes business and organisations) and with respect to land in Russia or in non-government controlled Ukrainian territory.
These sanctions include certain investment restrictions, a ban on loans and credit, and a ban on insurance and reinsurance.
Certain financial dealings with sanctioned Russian banks and financial organisations, and with the Government of Russia are also prohibited. It’s also illegal to provide them with certain financial services.
You must not provide certain professional services to ‘persons connected with Russia’.
Sanctions on goods and services
You must not export or otherwise supply or transfer to Russia, for use in Russia, or to a person connected with Russia, certain goods in these categories (this is not an exhaustive list):
- military, security and para-military goods, software and technology and arms, ammunition and related material
- defence and security goods and technology
- dual-use goods and technology
- internal repression goods and technology
- critical-industry goods and technology
- aviation and space goods and technology
- G7 dependency and further goods and technology
- oil refining goods and technology
- quantum computing and advanced materials goods and technology
- energy-related goods and technology and infrastructure-related goods
- chemical and biological weapons-related goods and technology
- machinery-related goods and technology
- Russia’s vulnerable goods and technology (including certain wood products, tools, machinery components and chemicals)
- sectoral software and technology
- luxury goods
- banknotes
- technical assistance relating to aircraft and ships
- jet fuel and fuel additives
Related financial services, brokering services and technical assistance may also be subject to sanctions. Transit controls are also in force.
You must not directly or indirectly provide interception and monitoring services to or for the benefit of the Government of Russia.
You must not provide trade services including:
- professional and business-related services
- energy-related services
- infrastructure or tourism-related services (to non-government-controlled Ukrainian territories)
You must not import, acquire from Russia, from a person connected with Russia or from a third country if originating in Russia, certain goods in these categories (this is not an exhaustive list):
- arms and related materiel
- iron and steel products
- certain metals
- revenue-generating goods
- gold, processed gold or gold jewellery
- natural diamonds, synthetic diamonds or diamond jewellery
Related financial services, brokering services and technical assistance may also be subject to sanctions. Transit controls are also in force.
Transport sanctions
Transport sanctions make it an offence to allow Russian aircraft or ships, or specified ships, into UK airspace or ports and create powers to make directions to effect this.
Oil and oil services ban
You must not import or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly from Russia:
- oil and oil products
- coal and coal products
- liquefied natural gas
Maritime transportation of certain Russian oil and oil products is generally prohibited unless it conforms to the terms of the Oil Price Cap (OPC).
Related financial services, brokering services and technical assistance are also subject to sanctions.
Crimea and non-government-controlled territory of Ukraine
Some of the Russia trade sanctions are specific to Crimea and non-government-controlled areas of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine. For example the export ban on infrastructure related goods applies only to these areas.
There are also exceptions specific to these areas, for example import bans on certain goods may not apply if the goods are certified as originating in Ukraine.