The United Kingdom has announced 70 new sanctions against Russia, escalating efforts to pressure Moscow into ending its prolonged war against Ukraine.

The measures were unveiled on Tuesday by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a special session of the G7 Summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, where leaders of the world’s leading economies gathered to discuss support for Ukraine and ways to increase pressure on the Kremlin.

The latest sanctions target Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet” of oil tankers, military procurement networks, and financial channels allegedly used to bypass existing international restrictions.

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Announcing the move, Starmer reaffirmed Britain’s commitment to working with its allies to weaken Russia’s war capabilities.

“Working with our G7 allies, we will continue to increase the pressure on Putin and his circle of collaborators until Russia’s war machine is brought to a halt and peace returns to our continent,” Starmer said.

According to a joint statement issued by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Prime Minister’s Office, the sanctions are aimed at Russia’s “decrepit shadow fleet, military procurement supply chains and illicit finance networks used to circumvent sanctions.”

The statement added that the measures “will choke Russia’s war effort across multiple fronts” by targeting key sectors supporting Moscow’s military operations.

Among those affected are more than 20 oil tankers linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, a network of vessels reportedly used to transport energy products and other assets under different national flags in an attempt to evade sanctions.

The UK government also revealed that Britain has become the first G7 member nation to sanction several Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vessels recently acquired by Russia to support its already-sanctioned Arctic LNG project.

The announcement comes shortly after fresh Russian missile and drone attacks struck several locations across Ukraine on Monday, killing at least 11 people and triggering a fire at one of Kyiv’s most significant Orthodox monasteries.

Starmer is expected to urge fellow G7 leaders to take stronger collective action in support of Ukraine.

According to his office, the British leader will tell the summit that “the G7 should collectively go further to ensure Ukraine secures the just and lasting peace it deserves.”

In addition to the sanctions package, the UK government announced a new agreement to provide enriched uranium for Ukraine’s nuclear power stations.

The deal, backed by £210 million ($282 million) in export finance, will allow UK-based nuclear fuel supplier Urenco to deliver enriched uranium to Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear energy company, Energoatom.

British officials said the arrangement is expected to help power Ukraine’s nuclear facilities for the next two years as the country continues to grapple with the impact of the ongoing conflict.

The Dangote Group has reinforced its long-standing partnership with the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) through the signing of a $600 million loan facility to support the expansion of its fertiliser production capacity, an important milestone in advancing food security across Nigeria and the African continent.

The financing, extended to GreenView Fertilizer Corporation (Greenview), the Dangote Fertiliser Holding Company, will partly fund the expansion of urea production capacity in Nigeria as well as the development of a new fertiliser plant in Ethiopia.

This investment forms a key component of the Dangote Group’s broader $7 billion fertiliser expansion programme. The initiative is expected to increase production capacity in Nigeria from 3 million metric tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 9 MTPA, while also supporting the establishment of a new 3 MTPA urea plant in Ethiopia. Upon completion, the programme will significantly boost Africa’s fertiliser output, strengthen regional food security, enhance agricultural productivity, and reduce dependence on imports.

The facility underscores AFC’s strong confidence in Dangote Group’s vision to drive industrial growth and agricultural transformation through large-scale infrastructure investments. The funds will primarily support the ongoing expansion of the Dangote Fertiliser Plant at Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, one of the largest granulated urea fertiliser complexes in the world.

The expansion is expected to substantially scale up production, improve supply chain efficiency, and ensure consistent availability of high-quality fertilisers to farmers across the continent. It will also contribute to price stability, reduce import dependency, and enhance crop yields, strengthening Africa’s overall food security framework.

Speaking on the development, President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, said the expansion would generate significant foreign exchange earnings for Nigeria. “This investment positions us to deliver over $4 billion annually in fertiliser exports within the next three years. It represents a major contribution to Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings and underscores our commitment to national economic growth.

“Our growth vision is not in isolation, we are building alongside strategic African partners like AFC and other institutions committed to the continent’s progress.”

Also commenting on the transaction, President and CEO of Africa Finance Corporation, Samaila Zubairu, highlighted the strategic importance of the deal: “This transaction reflects AFC’s capital recycling model in action. Following the successful repayment of our earlier investment in Dangote Industries Limited, we are reinvesting and doubling that capital into Dangote Group’s next growth phase.

By supporting the expansion of Dangote Fertilizer, AFC is backing a proven African industrial leader whose investments will strengthen food security, reduce import dependence, and create long-term economic value across the continent.”

This development builds on AFC’s strong track record of successful investments and exits across Africa, including projects in renewable energy, port infrastructure, digital connectivity, and industrial platforms.

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The Dangote Fertiliser Plant currently plays a critical role in meeting domestic demand while exporting to international markets, thereby generating valuable foreign exchange for Nigeria. With this new phase of expansion, the company is poised to consolidate its leadership position in the global fertiliser market while advancing Africa’s agricultural and economic resilience.

Despite a rise in global oil prices, widely traceable to the Middle East crisis, data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has shown that Nigeria’s crude oil exports fell by N1.75tn in the first quarter of 2026 .

The NBS, in its latest Foreign Trade in Goods Statistics report for Q1 2026, said crude oil exports declined to N11.20tn from N12.96tn recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025.

“Crude oil exports in Q1 2026 were valued at N11.20tn; the value decreased by 13.53 per cent from N12.96tn in Q1 2025 and increased by 15.45 per cent from N9.70tn in Q4 2025,” the bureau stated.

The decline translates to a year-on-year loss of N1.75tn in crude export earnings, although crude receipts rose by N1.50tn compared with the fourth quarter of 2025. The data suggests that the rebound from the previous quarter was not strong enough to match the level recorded in early 2025.

Crude oil remained Nigeria’s dominant export product during the period, but its weight in the country’s export basket weakened.

The commodity accounted for 52.92 per cent of total exports in Q1 2026, down from 62.89 per cent in Q1 2025. This means crude oil still generated more than half of Nigeria’s export earnings, but its share fell by almost 10 percentage points within one year.

Total exports rose to N21.17tn in Q1 2026 from N20.60tn in Q1 2025, representing a 2.77 per cent increase. This shows that overall export growth was not driven by crude oil but by stronger earnings from non-crude oil exports and other petroleum products.

Non-crude oil exports rose to N9.97tn in Q1 2026 from N7.64tn in Q1 2025, while non-oil exports stood at N3.19tn. Other oil product exports also increased sharply to N6.78tn from N4.48tn, representing a 51.49 per cent rise.

The report said, “Crude oil remained Nigeria’s major exported commodity in the first quarter of 2026, with a value of N11.20tn, representing 52.92 per cent of total exports.”

The figures indicate that Nigeria’s export structure remained heavily dependent on petroleum, even as crude oil underperformed year-on-year. Mineral products accounted for N18.16tn, or 85.77 per cent of total exports, followed by products of the chemical and allied industries at N1.39tn, or 6.58 per cent.

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India was Nigeria’s biggest export destination in the quarter, receiving goods valued at N2.77tn, or 13.09 per cent of total exports. France followed with N1.97tn, the Netherlands with N1.95tn, Spain with N1.63tn, and the United States with N1.18tn. Together, the five countries accounted for 44.84 per cent of Nigeria’s total exports.

Regionally, Europe was Nigeria’s largest export market, with goods valued at N7.93tn, or 37.44 per cent of total exports. Asia followed with N6.42tn, or 30.31 per cent, while Africa received N4.06tn, or 19.19 per cent.

Despite the fall in crude earnings, Nigeria posted a stronger trade surplus of N7.55tn in Q1 2026, compared with N1.71tn in Q4 2025. The bureau attributed the improvement mainly to lower imports and higher crude oil exports on a quarter-on-quarter basis.

Imports fell to N13.62tn in Q1 2026 from N16.64tn in Q1 2025 and N17.25tn in Q4 2025. The lower import bill helped strengthen the trade balance, even though crude earnings remained weaker than the level recorded a year earlier.

The decline came despite rising international crude oil prices in March 2026, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and concerns over disruptions to global oil supply routes.

According to the US Energy Information Administration, Brent crude prices climbed sharply during the first quarter of 2026, crossing the $100 per barrel mark on March 12 and closing the quarter at around $118 per barrel after renewed military tensions in the Middle East and fears surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.

The decline in crude oil export earnings further coincided with lower crude oil production in the first quarter of 2026, suggesting that weaker output may have offset the benefits of higher international oil prices during the period.

The NBS, in its latest Gross Domestic Product report, noted, “The nation in the first quarter of 2026 recorded an average daily oil production of 1.55 million barrels per day (mbpd), lower than the daily average production of 1.62 mbpd recorded in the same quarter of 2025 and lower than the fourth quarter of 2025 production volume of 1.58 mbpd.”