All news

Russia sanctions 31 energy companies, including ex-subsidiaries of Gazprom in EU

Russian authorities, legal entities and citizens will not be able to conclude transactions with the sanctioned entities and organizations under their control, fulfill obligations to them under completed transactions, and conduct financial transactions in their favor

MOSCOW, May 11. /TASS/. The Russian government has approved a list of legal entities, which are subject to retaliatory sanctions. The relevant resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers was published on the official portal of legal information on Wednesday.

The list includes 31 companies from Germany, France and other European countries, as well as from the USA and Singapore. In particular, it includes former European subsidiaries of Gazprom, traders and operators of underground gas storage facilities.

In particular, Russian authorities, legal entities and citizens will not be able to conclude transactions with the sanctioned entities and organizations under their control, fulfill obligations to them under completed transactions, and conduct financial transactions in their favor. This includes the concluded foreign trade contracts. These bans were earlier established by a decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The resolution sets additional criteria for transactions that are prohibited from being performed with companies from the sanctions list. These are transactions concluded in favor of the sanctioned persons, or providing for the making of payments, transactions with securities with the participation or in favor of such companies, or transactions involving the entry of ships owned or chartered by sanctioned persons, in their interest or on their behalf, into the Russian ports.

The resolution appoints the Russian Finance Ministry responsible for sending proposals to the Cabinet of Ministers on making changes to the list, as well as on granting temporary permits for certain transactions with persons under sanctions. The document comes into force from the date of its official publication.

Sanctioned companies

Russia’s sanctions list includes Gazprom Germania GmbH, Gazprom Schweiz AG, Gazprom Marketing & Trading USA Inc, Vemex, Wingas, EuRoPol GAZ.

On March 31, 2022, the Gazprom Group ceased participation in the German company Gazprom Germania Gmbh and all its assets, including Gazprom Marketing & Trading Ltd. The holding no longer owns the St. Petersburg-based subsidiary Gazprom Export Business Services, which in turn is the sole founder of Gazprom Germania GmbH. The Russian holding said that these companies should stop using Gazprom's trademarks.

The German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action placed Gazprom Germania GmbH under the trusteeship of the Federal Network Agency until September 30.

Gazprom Germania is an international group of companies that, through its subsidiary Gazprom Marketing & Trading, is engaged in natural gas trading in the UK spot markets, as well as the sale of liquefied natural gas in Southeast Asia. Through its subsidiary Gazprom Schweiz AG, it trades natural gas in countries Central Asia and the former Soviet Union, as well as in Austria, Italy and Serbia. Natural gas is traded in Germany mainly through Wingas and in the Czech Republic and Slovakia through Vemex Gazprom Germania.

Gazprom Germania is also the operator of several large gas storage facilities in Germany and has several projects in Serbia, Austria and the Czech Republic.

EuRoPol GAZ is a joint venture between Gazprom and Poland's PGNiG, which owns the Polish section of the Yamal-Europe gas pipeline.