The United Kingdom on Friday imposed new individual sanctions intended to target hidden “Georgia-linked” persons associated with Russia’s war in Ukraine.
In a press release, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office justified the new impositions with an increased Russian influence in Georgia, which is a target of Russia’s efforts to seek support from “proxies in third countries to support its war and propaganda operations.”
The UK government emphasised that the measure comes after the UK scaled back its relations with Georgia in 2024, a decision driven by the ruling Georgian Dream party’s adoption of Kremlin-style legislation, its suppression of civil society, and the imprisonment of opposition figures.
In total, the sanctions imposed through the UK’s Russia Sanctions Regulations include two Georgian businessmen and two vessels, comprising asset freezes and travel bans. The businessmen in question include media mogul Levan Vasadze and Otar Partskhaladze.
Partskhaladze, who has previously been sanctioned by the US government, is considered a close ally of oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili, the founder of the right-wing Georgian Dream party. According to the US State Department, the FSB leveraged Partskhaladze to “influence Georgian society and politics for the benefit of Russia.” Partskhaladze dismissed the assertions as a “dirty campaign” and stated that he had not held a public office for ten years.
Vasadze, on the other hand, is alleged to have utilised his media conglomerate to “pump out pro-Russian disinformation.” Having realized a majority of his current wealth in Russia, Vasadze is an advocate for far-right nationalism within Georgia. Being outspokenly “anti-West”, the businessman is an active advocate for reconciliation between the Kremlin and Georgia regarding the Russian-occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, proclaiming that a successful rapprochement with Russia would be “the day when the West loses Georgia forever.”
The sanctioned Georgian vessels, BAVLY and KARAKUZ, are reportedly part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” utilised to transport sanctioned Russian oil from Russia to third countries. Freight Analyst Mary Melton commented in a 2024 report that the shadow fleet is being utilised to transport oil to India and China, who “remain Russia’s top crude buyers, while Russian diesel goes to Turkey, Brazil and to a lesser extent North and West Africa.” The proceeds of the oil business are subsequently utilized to fund Russian military efforts in Ukraine.