New Russia sanctions announced

The Foreign Affairs Council, which consists of EU foreign ministers, has announced the new sanctions against Russia. It is the 15th sanctions package, to which several companies, individuals and ships of the Russian shadow fleet have been added.

The package approved by the Foreign Affairs Council on Monday contains a total of 84 listings, of which 54 are individuals and approximately 30 are companies or other organizations. Entities placed on the sanctions list have threatened Ukraine’s territorial self-determination and independence with their activities.

EU imposes new sanctions on Russian defense companies and shipping companies that transport Russian crude oil and oil products by sea and thus generate money Vladimir Putin to the administration.

Stronger sanctions for the Chinese

The list also includes a chemical plant and a Russian civil airline that provides logistical support to the Russian military. For the first time, the EU also imposes comprehensive sanctions on Chinese operators who supply drone parts and other components in support of Russia’s war of aggression. Comprehensive sanctions include a travel ban, freezing of assets, and a ban on providing financial resources to the person subject to the sanctions.

The EU also added 52 ships from third countries to the sanctions, which are used to circumvent the Russian oil price ceiling, support the Russian energy sector or transport military equipment and grain stolen from Ukraine. There are now a total of 79 vessels on the banned list.

North Koreans on the lists

Among other things, the military unit that has been responsible for the attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv will be subject to sanctions. Persons responsible for the management of energy sector companies, deportations of children, propaganda and evasion of sanctions will also be added to the sanctions list. Two North Korean authorities have also joined.

32 new actors have been added to the export ban list, which are linked to supporting Russia’s military and industrial sectors. The companies and organizations added to the list are subject to stricter export restrictions, which especially apply to dual-use products and technology. Some of the entities added to the list are located in third countries, such as China, India, Iran, Serbia and the United Arab Emirates. The actors have participated in evading sanctions or have procured missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles for the Russian army, for example.

Sanctions for Lukashenko’s judges

Sanctions have also been targeted at Belarus, adding 26 people and two companies to the lists. The EU has taken aim at judges who have handed down politically motivated judgments, a dictator Alexander Lukashenko to opponents. Directors, deputy directors and the director of the prison hospital are also subject to sanctions. There are also representatives of the business world who have benefited from Lukashenko’s administration.

A total of 287 individuals and 39 companies or organizations from Belarus are now subject to sanctions.

Sanctions for hybrid influence

The Foreign Affairs Council has also for the first time imposed sanctions on 16 individuals and three organizations that have participated in Russia’s hybrid influence abroad. Among other things, the notorious unit of the Russian military intelligence GRU will be subject to sanctions 29155, who is known around the world for his assassinations and cyber attacks.

The sanctions also list Russian fake news networks operating in Africa and the persons responsible for the Doppelganger fake news campaign that operated in the EU. The former assistant of a German MP who cooperated with Russian intelligence can also be found on the lists.

Protection measures for companies

The EU also seeks to protect European companies from lawsuits brought by Russian companies by prohibiting the recognition or enforcement of Russian court arbitration awards in the EU. In addition, the Council decided on an exception that allows the release of cash held by EU central securities depositories. The purpose is to prepare for increasing lawsuits in Russia, as a result of which assets have been seized in the EU.

The EU also extended the deadline for the exemption clause, which enables European companies to do business in Russia. The purpose is to give companies even more time to prepare for withdrawal from the country.

The next, or 16th, sanctions package is supposed to be scheduled for the third anniversary of Russia’s war of aggression. The plan is to make the package more comprehensive than the current one, which will be made possible by Poland’s EU presidency starting next year. Hungary has now held the presidency, led by a well-known Russian sympathizer, the prime minister Viktor Orbán.