The United Kingdom has imposed sanctions on an Azerbaijani state-owned tanker for transporting Russian oil

A tanker authorized by Britain to transport oil on behalf of Russia is owned by the Azerbaijani government, according to corporate documents.

The targeting of the state-owned tanker was a warning to Azerbaijan at a time when the oil-rich country is signing energy deals with the European Union, according to Maximilian Hess, an analyst at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, an American think tank.

“This is a clear warning shot across the bow that further efforts sponsored by Azerbaijan to support evasion of Russian sanctions carry serious risks for Azerbaijan's diplomatic position and potentially the broader economy.”

The broad package of sanctions announced by Britain on May 9 also included five Azerbaijani citizens accused of trading in Russian oil, as well as two companies.

Source: OCCRP