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The European Union has formally adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, introducing sweeping new measures targeting the country’s financial sector, energy industry, military supply chains and sanctions evasion networks, UATV English reports.
According to the Council of the European Union, the package imposes sanctions on 218 individuals and entities — including 48 individuals and 170 organizations — marking the largest sanctions listing introduced by the EU in the past four years.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said the new measures significantly increase pressure on Russia’s war economy.
“Our 21st package contains the largest number of sanctions in four years. We are targeting more than 100 banks and crypto operators, over 40 shadow fleet vessels, several oil refineries in Russia and Belarus, and more than 50 military-industrial enterprises involved in the production of Russia’s long-range drones,” Kallas said.
The package freezes the assets of 94 Russian banks and major financial institutions, extends transaction bans to 33 additional Russian financial institutions, and introduces restrictions on several non-Russian banks accused of helping Moscow circumvent sanctions. For the first time, the EU also established a legal mechanism allowing a full ban on crypto-asset services provided by third-country operators assisting Russia in evading sanctions.
The EU expanded restrictions against Russia’s energy sector by sanctioning additional oil refineries in Russia and Belarus, introducing new powers to prohibit transactions with refineries processing Russian crude, and adding 41 more vessels to the list of sanctioned shadow fleet ships. The bloc also imposed restrictions on entities supporting the fleet, including, for the first time, a crewing agency.
To further limit Russia’s military capabilities, the package sanctions 56 additional companies and individuals linked to the Russian defense industry, including 37 entities directly involved in the production and supply chains of long-range drones. Another 51 entities, including companies based in China, Hong Kong, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and the United Arab Emirates, were added to the EU’s export control list for helping Russia obtain restricted dual-use technologies.
The sanctions also introduce new import and export restrictions covering metals, industrial materials, aviation equipment for drones, semiconductor manufacturing tools and automotive components. Parallel measures were adopted against Belarus, mirroring many of the restrictions imposed on Russia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the adoption of the package, thanking the European Union for maintaining pressure on Moscow and saying several Ukrainian proposals had been incorporated into the new sanctions.
“We expect active work on the 22nd sanctions package so that additional restrictions can further weaken Russia’s ability to sustain the war and bring peace closer,” Zelenskyy said.
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