Nicolas Tonev, edited by Yanis Darras 08:35, February 26, 2023
A year after the start of the war in Ukraine, the European Union has just announced new sanctions, targeting 121 Russian individuals and entities, but also Iranian drone manufacturers.
This tenth set of sanctions since the start of the conflict echoes the measures announced by the United States and Great Britain.
New European Union sanctions over the war in Ukraine target 121 individuals and entities including Iranian drone manufacturers, the EU announced on Saturday.
Approved Friday evening before its formal adoption on Saturday, this package of European sanctions, the tenth since the start of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia a year ago, echoes the measures announced Friday by the United States and the Great Britain, preceded by a severe warning from the G7 to countries coming to the aid of Russia in this war.
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The packages of measures decided successively by the EU constitute "the most far-reaching sanctions" ever adopted, declared the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen.
“We are also increasing the pressure on those who try to circumvent our sanctions,” she added.
The latest set of European sanctions targets 96 additional Russian entities (companies or state agencies) including three Russian banks, said an EU statement.
Sanctions against increased Russian propaganda
It also concerns seven Iranian entities, all manufacturers of explosive drones used by Russia to strike Ukrainian targets including infrastructure or apartment buildings.
The ban on exporting industrial goods from the EU to Russia is extended to dual-use goods such as electronics, specialized vehicles, mechanical parts, spare parts for truck and aircraft engines, antennas, cranes, drones, rare earth materials, electronic circuits and thermal cameras.
The trade in these goods is worth more than 11 billion euros, according to European officials.
Sanctions against Russian propaganda are also being tightened, including measures to suspend the licenses of Arab offices of RT and Sputnik, state-controlled media already banned in Europe.
The new package also obliges EU member states to better detail the assets seized from wealthy Russians supporting the Kremlin and subject to sanctions, as well as the frozen assets of the Russian central bank.
"We will continue to increase the pressure on Russia"
EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell said a total of 121 entities and individuals were on the latest sanctions list, details of which were to be published later on Saturday in the EU's Official Journal.
Such a mention means an EU asset freeze and a visa ban.
According to Borrell, the latest set of sanctions also targets "those responsible for the deportation and forced adoption of at least 6,000 Ukrainian children", in violation of international law.
"We will continue to increase the pressure on Russia and will do so for as long as necessary, until Ukraine is freed from brutal Russian aggression," he said.