Ukraine: EU agrees ninth package of sanctions against Russia

The EU has adopted a ninth package of sanctions against Russia for its aggression against Ukraine.

This package was proposed by the European Commission to respond to Russia’s continued escalation and illegal war against Ukraine, in particular as Russia is deliberately targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, seeking to paralyse the country at the beginning of the winter.

The EU has added almost 200 additional individuals and entities to the EU’s sanctions list. These include the Russian armed forces, as well as individual officers and defence industrial companies, members of the State Duma and Federation Council, ministers, governors and political parties. This list covers key figures involved in Russia’s brutal and deliberate missile strikes against civilians, in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children to Russia, and in the theft of Ukrainian agricultural products.

New export restrictions have been introduced on sensitive dual-use and advanced technologies that contribute to Russia’s military capabilities and technological enhancement. This includes drone engines, camouflage gear, additional chemical/biological equipment, riot control agents and additional electronic components found in Russian military systems on the battlefield.

Moreover, the most severe export restrictions are extended to 168 additional Russian entities closely linked to the Russian military-industrial complex in an effort to cut off their access to sensitive dual-use and advanced technology items. This brings the total number of entities sanctioned to 410.

New export bans will extend to additional industrial goods and technology, such as toy/hobby drones, complex generator devices, laptop computers and computing components, printed circuits, radio navigational systems, radio remote control apparatus, aircraft engines and parts of engines, cameras and lenses.

The direct exports of drone engines to Russia and the export to any third countries, such as Iran, where there is a suspicion that they will be used in Russia, is now restricted.

Three additional Russian banks have been sanctioned, including a full transaction ban on the Russian Regional Development Bank to further paralyse Putin’s cash machines.

Four additional Russian channels have been sanctioned in the EU: NTV/NTV Mir, Rossiya 1, REN TV and Pervyi Kanal. 

In addition to the existing investment ban in the energy sector in Russia, new EU investments in the Russian mining sector will also be prohibited, with the exception of certain raw materials.

Today’s package comes on top of the full EU import ban on Russian seaborne crude oil, and of the global oil price cap agreed with G7 partners, both of which apply from 5 December.

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Press release