WASHINGTON — The United States removed sanctions on three Russian-flagged commercial vessels. On March 31, the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control delisted the vessels Sv Nikolay, Fesco Moneron, and Fesco Magadan from its Specially Designated Nationals list.

The vessels were previously targeted because of links to sanctioned Russian financial institutions and involvement in activities tied to Russia's war in Ukraine. The Sv Nikolay had been implicated in transporting grain from Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, while the Fesco Moneron and Fesco Magadan had been linked to shipments of military or dual-use goods.

According to the Treasury, the vessels were delisted after a thorough review conducted as part of standard sanctions enforcement procedures, which can be triggered by administrative requests, internal assessments, or broader national security considerations. The lifting of sanctions allows the vessels to access ports and maritime services previously restricted under the measures.

A Treasury spokesperson said that removals from the SDN List are not indicative of a broader shift in US-Russia policy. The administration defended easing sanctions on Russian and Iranian oil exports as necessary to stabilize global energy markets during disruptions linked to conflict in Iran.

Jim Mullinax, a retired State Department economic officer who previously led the Office of Sanctions Policy and Implementation, said that the delisting likely reflects technical or legal considerations rather than any change in policy. "These are container ships, so their delisting has nothing to do with the Trump administration's efforts to facilitate the global oil trade," Mullinax said.

Mullinax said that the vessels were originally designated because of ownership by sanctioned banks Alfa and PSB and their involvement in transporting stolen Ukrainian grain or moving military or dual-use goods. He said that the owners of the vessels and the banks behind those companies remain sanctioned, so this action does not appear to signal a material change in the overall sanctions posture vis-a-vis Russia.

He said that it is not clear why these vessels were delisted because the Treasury does not usually detail its reasoning, but that the delisting may recognize changes in vessel ownership. During his time at the State Department, Mullinax developed and led interagency efforts to implement sanctions and export controls in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, cybercrime, and other foreign policy priorities. Since February 2022, the United States and other Western countries have implemented economic and diplomatic sanctions on Russia aimed at isolating it from global financial, energy, and economic systems to reduce its ability to fund its war.