EU did not include Georgian port in 20th package of sanctions against Russia
10.03.2026 - 16:33
The European Union has decided not to include the Georgian port of Kulevi in the 20th package of sanctions against Russia.
The decision was announced by the EU Special Representative for Sanctions David O’Sullivan in a letter to the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Georgia, Mak Bochorishvili, Georgian public broadcaster 1TV reports.
“To date, the EU has listed 605 vessels, including tankers, engaged in high-risk and fraudulent shipping. We will continue to pursue vessels that undermine the impact of our sanctions, in particular by adding about 40 additional vessels to the 20th package of sanctions,” the letter says.
The inclusion of the Georgian port of Kulevi in the 20th package of sanctions was initially considered due to its support for the so-called Russian “shadow fleet.”
The Georgian authorities and the port operator have committed to preventing vessels under EU sanctions from calling at Kulevi and to comply with European restrictions on Russian oil.
SOCAR, the terminal operator, has also pledged to strictly comply with EU sanctions.
The EU has stressed that it will continue to monitor the movements of Russia’s “shadow fleet” and ensure that Georgia’s territory is not used to circumvent sanctions or re-export sensitive goods to Russia.
As previously reported by USM, oil supplies from Russia to the Kulevi oil terminal were resumed at the end of 2025, from where they were transported to the new terminal of the Kulevi refinery. At the same time, Reuters reported that the Georgian refinery has begun processing oil from the Russian company Rusneft.
