U.K. slaps sanctions on Nayara refinery
BILATERAL – INDIA-UK
16 OCTOBER 2025
- The British government has sanctioned the Vadinar (Jamnagar) oil refinery, owned by Nayara Energy Ltd.
- The action is part of U.K.’s sanctions on Russia’s two largest oil companies, Lukeoil and Rosneft, which own 49.13% of Nayara.
- The E.U. had already sanctioned the refinery on July 18, 2025.
- The timing of the U.K. sanctions is significant, coming days after U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer led a large trade delegation to Mumbai and U.K.-India relationsappeared to touch a new high.
- New Delhi and London also signed a comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) on July 24, 2025 when PM Narendra Modi had visited the U.K.
- The sanctions comprise an asset freeze, director disqualification and transport sanctions and sanctions on U.K. trust services (financial sanctions).
- Nayara imported 100 million barrels of Russian crude (worth over $5 billion) in 2024, as per U.K.
