On May 20, 2025, the EU Council approved the 17th package of sanctions against Russia, aimed at limiting the country's financial capabilities amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. According to Reuters, the sanctions list includes 189 vessels identified as part of Russia's "shadow fleet" used to circumvent Western restrictions on oil exports, as well as 75 individuals and legal entities, including large companies and famous personalities. The total number of sanctioned vessels reached 342, making this package one of the largest in terms of coverage of maritime assets.

The key targets of the sanctions include Russian energy giant Surgutneftegaz, machine tool holding company Stan (part of the state corporation Rostec), insurance company VSK, gold mining company Atlas Mining, and CEO of PJSC Kamaz Sergey Kogogin. The list also includes drone developer Unmanned Systems, CEO of the Central Research Institute Electron Alexey Vyaznikov, small arms manufacturer Lobaev Arms, shipping company Volzhskoye Parokhodstvo, the Khersones Tauride Museum-Reserve in Crimea, and Rector of the National Research University MPEI Nikolay Rogalev. These measures, according to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, are aimed at restricting Russia's access to combat technologies and undermining its energy exports.

The main focus of the 17th package is to combat the so-called “shadow fleet” — hundreds of aging tankers used by Russia to transport oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) in defiance of price caps set by G7 countries. These ships, often registered under the flags of third countries such as Panama or Liberia, deliver Russian energy to China, India and other countries, earning the Kremlin billions of dollars that the EU claims are used to finance the war. The sanctions ban these ships from calling at EU ports and bar Western companies from providing them with services, including insurance, repairs and maintenance. According to Newsweek, about 25 of the 189 tankers are in European waters, posing a threat to the environment and infrastructure due to their deterioration.

The sanctions also added 31 companies from Russia, Turkey, Serbia, Vietnam, the UAE and other countries suspected of supplying dual-use goods that could be used for military purposes. They include companies from Turkey and Hong Kong that own oil tankers. The new measures also tighten export restrictions on technology, including components for drones, reflecting EU concerns about the growing use of drones in conflict.