LONDON, May 9, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced new sanctions targeting Russia's so-called shadow fleet ahead of a military summit in Norway on Friday.

The government said it was sanctioning up to 100 oil tankers responsible for carrying more than $24 billion worth of cargo since the start of last year.

Britain has already targeted dozens of "shadow fleet" vessels which it believes are dodging sanctions imposed by Western nations on oil exports after Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The UK also says the ships are damaging critical subsea cables in Europe.

"The threat from Russia to our national security cannot be underestimated," Starmer said in a statement, adding that more measures are needed to counter Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"That is why we will do everything in our power to destroy his shadow fleet operation, starve his war machine of oil revenues and protect the subsea infrastructure that we rely on for our everyday lives."

Starmer was due to attend a meeting of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Oslo on Friday where Ukraine and Arctic security were set to be on the agenda.

The British-led military alliance is expected to announce further support for Ukraine's armed forces that will include intensive training exercises and efforts to counter disinformation, the UK government said.

Britain and Norway are also due to agree a new memorandum of understanding on "space domain awareness" that will include "tracking and sharing intelligence on satellites, space debris and other objects flying above Earth", the statement added.

JEF consists of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Netherlands, and Sweden, as well as the UK.