The EU has removed two businessmen linked to Lukashenko from its sanctions list
The European Union has removed Russian businessman Mikhail Gutseriev and Belarusian entrepreneur Viktor Shevtsov from its sanctions lists related to the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. The relevant decision took effect on October 15. At the same time, Gutseriev remains under other EU sanctions imposed over Russian aggression against Ukraine.
This was reported by the Belarusian publication "Zerkalo" with reference to a decision of the Council of the European Union published in the Official Journal of the EU.
The Council of the EU adopted the decision on October 13, and it was published the next day. Two entries were removed from the Belarus-related sanctions list: No. 125, which concerned Mikhail Gutseriev, and No. 258 – Viktor Shevtsov.
The document states that the decision was taken at the proposal of the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy after an assessment of the relevant circumstances. The Council of the EU gave no detailed explanations for the removal of the two businessmen.
Who are Gutseriev and Shevtsov
Mikhail Gutseriev is a Russian entrepreneur with business interests in the oil industry, real estate, and manufacturing. He has been linked to Alexander Lukashenko for many years.
One of the businessman's largest projects in Belarus was the construction of the Nizhinsky mining and processing plant near Liuban. The project was implemented by the company "Slavkaliy", associated with the Gutseriev family.
In 2024, the entrepreneur stated that the Belarusian authorities had nationalized assets related to this project worth about $500 million.
Gutseriev has been on the EU's Belarus sanctions list since 2021. He repeatedly challenged the restrictions in European courts. In May 2026, the General Court of the EU upheld his claim and annulled the decision to extend sanctions in 2025 due to an error in assessing the grounds for their retention.
Viktor Shevtsov has been under EU sanctions since August 2024. The restrictions were imposed, among other reasons, due to links with a business producing security holograms in Belarus.
According to the Belarusian Investigative Center, Shevtsov has for decades taken part in financial and trade projects linked to the interests of the Belarusian authorities in the Middle East and Latin America.
Journalists also linked him to the company "Belzarubezhstroy", which worked on Belarus's foreign construction projects, particularly in Venezuela.
Shevtsov, like Gutseriev, challenged the sanctions in European courts.
Gutseriev remains under other EU sanctions
Importantly, the current decision applies only to the Belarus sanctions regime and does not mean a complete lifting of all European restrictions against the entrepreneurs.
In particular, on July 23, 2026, the European Union added Mikhail Gutseriev to a separate sanctions list related to Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Then the Council of the EU justified the restrictions by his activities in the oil, gas, and other sectors of the Russian economy that provide revenue to the Russian budget. Therefore, Gutseriev's removal from the Belarus list does not exempt him from restrictions under the Russian sanctions regime.
Based on materials from: Council Decision 2026/2312, Council Regulation 2026/2313, Council Decision 2026/1845, "Zerkalo"