EU Sanctions Hit Indonesian Oil Terminal Company, Which Denies Handling Russian Tankers

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - The European Union (EU) has included one of Indonesia’s oil terminal companies in its new sanctions package against Russia. The company is considered connected to Russian oil export activities. In the 20th sanctions package against Russia, the EU identifies the terminal operated by OTK as a location linked to the “shadow fleet” or vessels used by Russia to circumvent sanctions. This is the first time the European Union has included a port outside Russia in its sanctions list. “Port infrastructure ban: two Russian ports (Murmansk and Tuapse) and, for the first time, a third-country port (Karimun Oil Terminal, Indonesia) due to its connection to the shadow fleet and circumvention of the oil price cap,” states the EU’s official announcement, quoted on Monday (27/4/2026). The latest sanctions package also expands the list of “shadow fleet” vessels prohibited from operating in EU territory. There are 46 additional vessels added to the list. With this addition, the total number of vessels on the blacklist reaches 632, which are not permitted to access ports or services from EU member states. Meanwhile, 11 vessels were also removed from the list in the 20th sanctions package, indicating that sanctions can be lifted for vessels that return to compliance. Regarding the sanctions, PT Oil Terminal Karimun (OTK) denies that the company is involved in handling tankers or activities related to Russian crude oil, as alleged by the European Union. OTK’s management even emphasises that the company is not included in the list of entities sanctioned by the European Union. The inclusion of the name “Karimun Oil Terminal, Indonesia” in the EU’s latest regulation, according to OTK, only refers to the location or infrastructure, not a designation of the legal entity. “OTK emphasises that ‘Karimun Oil Terminal, Indonesia’ is not the registered legal name of PT Oil Terminal Karimun, nor is it the corporate naming of OTK, and it cannot and should not be interpreted as designating PT Oil Terminal Karimun as a sanctioned entity,” states the official statement from OTK’s management, quoted on Monday (27/4/2026). OTK also strongly rejects allegations of involvement in Russian sanctions evasion practices, including “shadow fleet” shipping manipulations and invalid cargo documentation.