03.07.2023 20:16

The British oil and gas company Shell has been trading Russian gas for over a year after promising to withdraw from Russian energy market.

BBC reported this, Ukrinform says.

According to the analysis of the Global Witness group, last year Shell participated in almost an eighth of Russia’s gas exports by ship.

The company said that the deals with Russia were the result of long-term contractual obligations and did not violate laws or sanctions.Read also: Chernyshov: Ukraine could become significant exporter of gas to EU by 2027

On May 9, a tanker carrying 160,000 cubic meters of gas, or liquefied natural gas, left the port of Sabetta on the Yamal Peninsula in the far north of Russia. The cargo was purchased by Shell before being shipped to its final destination in Hong Kong.

According to the Kpler database analyzed by Global Witness, this was one of eight cargoes of liquefied natural gas that the British company purchased from Yamal this year.

In March 2022, Shell apologized for buying Russian oil and announced its intention to divest from Russian oil and gas.

The company said it would stop buying Russian oil and sell its gas stations and other businesses in Russia. Shell has terminated its cooperation with Russian state energy giant Gazprom.

However, the company continues to accept cargoes of liquefied natural gas from two Russian ports, Yamal and Sakhalin.

Advisor to the President of Ukraine Oleg Ustenko accused the British company of financing Russian war of aggression.

“It’s quite simple: by continuing to buy Russian gas, Shell is putting money in Putin’s pockets and helping to finance Russia’s brutal war of aggression against the people of Ukraine,” he said.

As Ukrinform reported, the CEOs of Swiss energy companies Trafigura and Vitol said they are considering increasing the volume of Russian oil trade.

(C)UKRINFORM 2023