Balgarianovinite.com On Thursday, the UK expanded its sanctions exemption allowing transactions with Lukoil Bulgaria entities to cover two additional subsidiaries, Lukoil-Bulgaria Bunker and Lukoil Aviation Bulgaria, the British government announced.
The licence, originally issued on November 14 to maintain the operation of the Burgas refinery and its associated petrol stations after their seizure from Russia’s Lukoil, has now been extended to include the additional subsidiaries.
The new document permits companies and banks to conduct transactions with Lukoil Bulgaria EOOD, Lukoil Neftochim Burgas AD, Lukoil-Bulgaria Bunker EOOD, and Lukoil Aviation Bulgaria EOOD, as well as their subsidiaries, until February 2026.
In mid-October, British authorities announced sanctions against Russia’s largest oil producers, including Lukoil and Rosneft, over their role in financing Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States introduced similar sanctions shortly after.
Today’s licence, issued by the UK Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation, allows payments and economic resources to be transferred to and from the Bulgarian entities under existing or new contracts. It expires on February 14, 2026.
The upcoming US sanctions, set to take effect November 21, raised concerns about fuel supplies ahead of winter in Bulgaria, where Lukoil operates the Burgas refinery, hundreds of petrol stations, and fuel storage facilities. The company submitted a request to the US Department of the Treasury to extend the deadline after which transactions with the Russian group’s expanding European operations will be prohibited.
In the meantime, Bulgaria amended its Act on Administrative Regulation of Economic Activities Associated with Oil and Petroleum Products at first and second reading on November 7, expanding the powers of the figure of the special commercial administrator of a critical infrastructure facility. The changes are intended to support Bulgaria’s case in upcoming talks with the US regarding the sanctions. The amendments were published in the State Gazette after surviving a presidential veto.
The Bulgarian government adopted a decision on November 14, appointing Rumen Spetsov as special commercial administrator to oversee Russian oil company Lukoil’s four operations in Bulgaria, after Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov convened an extraordinary meeting of the Security Council with the Council of Ministers. Up until now, Spetsov has been Executive Director of the National Revenue Agency. On November 17, Spetsov was registered in the Commercial Register as the special commercial administrator of Lukoil Neftochim Burgas.
On his very first day in office as special commercial administrator of the four Lukoil companies operating in Bulgaria, Spetsov dismissed Evgeny Manyakhin as chairman of the company’s board and revoked his authority to represent the company. The decision was published in the Commercial Register of the Registry Agency.
Lukoil Public Joint Stock Company said on November 19 that it “reserves the right to seek judicial remedies to protect its rights and legitimate interests in the event of their violation”. The Russian company’s statement, published on its website, comes after all powers of the governing bodies of Lukoil Neftochim Burgas, Lukoil Bulgaria and other Lukoil Group entities in Bulgaria were transferred to a special commercial administrator, effective November 17, 2025. “Lukoil expects that the external administrator will act in strict compliance with applicable law to ensure the continuity of operations,” the statement reads. UK Expands Granted Temporary Licence Allowing Bulgaria to Continue Operating Lukoil Assets Despite Sanctions 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-11-20 19:21:23 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law