EU Ambassadors Agree Largest Expansion of Sanctions Against Russian Military-Industrial Complex

On October 7, ambassadors of the European Union countries agreed on a large-scale expansion of personal sanctions against the Russian military-industrial complex. The new list is to include 743 individuals and 826 companies and organizations - a total of 1,569 entries.

The decision was reported by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Europe editor Rikard Jozwiak. Separately, the ambassadors gave the green light to sanctions against another 77 individuals whom Russia declared as "elected" to the State Duma in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Thus, the two new sanction decisions cover over 1,600 individuals and legal entities.

Another decision was the extension of the EU's separate sanctions regime related to the use and proliferation of chemical weapons. It includes 31 individuals and six organizations. This is specifically about the extension of already existing restrictions, so these 37 entries should not be added to the number of new sanctions.

Preparation of the largest sanctions package took several weeks. Reuters reported on October 6 that EU ambassadors were preparing to agree on an unprecedentedly large list aimed primarily against enterprises and individuals ensuring the operation of the Russian defense-industrial complex.

The initial draft was presented by the European External Action Service back on September 16 and contained 1,576 entries. At the time, EU sources called it the largest single addition to the sanctions regime for violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity since its creation in 2014. After technical processing, the final list agreed by the ambassadors was reduced to 1,569 individuals and organizations.

A separate set of sanctions against 77 individuals is related to Russia's holding of elections to the State Duma in the occupied territories of Ukraine. After the vote in September, the EU stated that it does not recognize either the holding of such "elections" in Crimea, Sevastopol, and the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions, or their results. Brussels also warned of sanctions against those involved in organizing and participating in them. 

The new expansion comes shortly after the EU changed the procedure for extending the main sanctions list for encroachments on Ukraine's territorial integrity. In September, restrictions on more than 3,000 individuals and organizations were extended for three years at once - until September 2029. The sanctions include asset freezing, a ban on providing funds and economic resources, and for individuals also restrictions on entry to the European Union.

At the same time, during this revision, Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman were, among others, removed from the list. Their names were deleted from the annex to the EU sanctions regulation by a decision of September 22.

After agreement at the level of ambassadors, the sanction decisions must undergo the necessary formal EU procedures and be published in the Official Journal, after which the restrictions will enter into force.

Sources: Rikard Jozwiak, Reuters, Council of the EU