export

The tanker was boarded by French soldiers earlier this week because it was on a list of vessels subject to EU sanctions for carrying Russian oil exports.

While celebrating the launch of gas exports from the facility in April 2025, the energy minister called for "continuous vigilance to guarantee the efficiency, transparency and sustainability of economic benefits for the population".

But Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak announced last week that a partial ban on petrol exports had been extended to the end of 2025.

Russia is believed to have a fleet of several hundred tankers which are registered in other countries and are used to export its petrol.

Across Africa, more than 30 countries currently export over 6,000 products to the US under Agoa, ranging from textiles to agricultural goods.