A leaked government memo, obtained by this newsroom, reveals that Britain will impose a total ban on Russian diesel and jet fuel imports by 1 January. The move, framed as a sovereignty push, is a direct blow to Kremlin revenues. Sources close to the Treasury confirm the ban will be enacted via statutory instrument, bypassing parliamentary debate.
The Home Office has been instructed to prepare for enforcement at all ports and refineries. The ban targets two of Russia's most lucrative exports to the UK: diesel worth an estimated £2.3 billion annually and jet fuel accounting for a further £800 million.
This is not a symbolic gesture. It is a strategic blockade. The memo, dated 12 November, states that 'continued dependence on Russian energy supplies undermines national security and economic resilience.
' The decision follows months of behind-the-scenes wrangling between Downing Street and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Energy traders are already scrambling to secure alternative supply chains, with sources in the shipping industry reporting a surge in charter rates for non-Russian tankers. The ban is expected to push up fuel prices at the pump in the short term, but the Treasury argues that the long-term cost of inaction is far greater.
Boris Johnson's government has been under intense pressure to tighten sanctions after evidence emerged that Russian oil was still reaching the UK via third countries. This ban, combined with earlier restrictions on crude oil imports, effectively severs the UK's direct energy trade with Moscow. The move also aligns with a broader EU effort to cap Russian oil prices, but Britain is going further by imposing a complete prohibition.
Critics warn that the ban could be circumvented through blending or transshipment, but the memo outlines a 'zero-tolerance enforcement regime' including cargo inspections and penalties for refiners found in breach. The Foreign Office has declined to comment on potential retaliation from the Kremlin, but a source familiar with intelligence assessments says that 'Moscow will view this as an act of economic warfare.' The ban is set to be announced formally on 1 December, with a phased implementation ending on 31 December.
For now, the message from Whitehall is clear: British sovereignty comes before Russian profits.
