UK sanctions tanker that delivered Russian oil to Georgia’s Kulevi port
Sanctions against Russian oil tanker
On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the United Kingdom announced an updated package of anti-Russian sanctions. The new list also includes a tanker that delivered Russian oil to the Georgian port of Kulevi on 2 October 2025.
According to the vessel-tracking platform VesselFinder, the tanker KAYSERI — whose arrival at Kulevi was confirmed at the time by Georgia’s Revenue Service — is now registered under the name ALTURA (IMO 9292199). In the updated sanctions list published on 24 February 2026, the vessel appears under this new name.
Background
On 2 October 2025, Georgia’s Revenue Service of the Ministry of Finance issued a statement after the Reuters news agency, citing vessel-tracking data from LSEG, reported that the Russian oil company Russneft had delivered its first cargo to an oil processing facility in Kulevi.
According to the official statement, on the same day the vessel KAYSERI, sailing under the Panamanian flag, entered the port of Kulevi from a Russian port carrying up to 100,000 tonnes of crude oil. The shipment had been sent by a Russian company and was intended to undergo import customs procedures.
The Revenue Service said at the time that neither the vessel nor its owner, nor the companies sending or receiving the cargo, were subject to international sanctions. According to the agency, this information was also confirmed by open sources. The cargo was unloaded into a temporary customs storage facility for further inspection.
The Revenue Service also said it continuously checks vessels and shipowners for compliance with international sanctions together with the Maritime Transport Agency of Georgia’s Ministry of Economy. If a vessel or its owner is listed under sanctions, they are not permitted to enter Georgian ports or carry out customs procedures.
“We state with full responsibility that the information being circulated is intended to mislead the public,” the agency said in its statement.
What has changed
Four months later, the situation looks different. ALTURA — formerly KAYSERI — has now been added to the United Kingdom’s sanctions list.
The timing and context of the sanctions suggest London is closely monitoring vessels involved in exporting Russian oil, particularly after Western countries introduced a price cap and other restrictions.
It remains unclear whether the UK’s decision will directly affect Georgian ports or previously completed operations. However, the fact that a vessel which was not under sanctions in October has now been designated highlights how dynamic the sanctions regime has become — and how quickly the status of actors involved in global energy logistics can change.
Germany’s ambassador to Georgia, Peter Fischer, said on 24 February that a proposal to impose sanctions on the port of Kulevi had been included in the European Union’s 20th sanctions package. However, it did not pass after Hungary and Slovakia vetoed the measure.
According to the ambassador, the issue of the Kulevi port was formally discussed in Brussels and was accompanied by a package of supporting evidence.
Sanctions against Russian oil tanker
