EU prepares largest expansion of sanctions against Russian military-industrial complex

Ambassadors of European Union countries on October 7 should agree on about 1,650 new sanction listings related to Russia. If an agreement is reached, it will become the largest one-time expansion of the EU sanctions lists since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

The majority of the restrictions are aimed at the Russian military-industrial complex. According to Reuters, citing EU diplomats, about 1,570 listings concern companies and individuals linked to Russia's defense industry, with more than half of them related to missile production.

The proposal was prepared by the European External Action Service. After approval at the level of ambassadors, the sanctions lists should be passed to the foreign ministers of EU countries for final adoption on October 12. Thus, for now this is not about restrictions already imposed, but about the next stage of their approval.

In addition to the main list, the package includes sanctions listings related to Russia under other EU regimes. Some of them relate, in particular, to restrictions against North Korea.

Currently, more than 3,000 individuals and entities are already listed under the main EU sanctions regime against Russia. The restrictions provide for the freezing of assets, a ban on providing funds and economic resources, and for individuals—restrictions on entry and transit through the territory of the European Union.

The current initiative is a development of the proposal that was discussed in the EU back in September. At that time, it was about approximately 1,576 individuals and entities linked to Russia's defense sector. Kurs already published a report on the preparation of this expansion, so the current approval by ambassadors is a new stage of the same sanctions process, not a separate new package.

The latest major, 21st package of EU sanctions against Russia was adopted on July 23. It included restrictions against Russian banks, financial organizations, military-industrial enterprises, and 41 more vessels of Russia's "shadow fleet".

Based on materials from: Reuters, Council of the EU