EU adopts new sanctions against Russia

By Anthony Marcus, correspondent for Eurasia Business News, February 26, 2023

View on Moscow and on the White House of the Russian Federal Government.

The 10th package of sanctions was approved by representatives of EU member states on 24 February, after which they will be published in the EU’s Official Journal and enter into force.

The permanent representatives of European Union member states have agreed on a 10th package of sanctions against Russia over its military operation in Ukraine, the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU announced on Friday evening.

« Today, the European Union approved the 10th package of sanctions against Russia,” the presidency said on Twitter.

As part of the tenth sanctions package, the Council decided to impose restrictive measures on 87 additional individuals and 34 entities.

The new package of restrictive measures includes, among other things, “stricter export restrictions on dual-use goods and technologies, targeted restrictive measures against individuals and entities supporting war, disseminating propaganda or providing drones, sanctions against Russian disinformation,” the Swedish presidency said.

The sanctions must now be published in the Official Journal of the EU and will enter into force.

The Europeans are imposing new restrictions on EU exports to Russia for 11 billion euros and freezing the assets of three Russian banks and many entities, including Iranian companies, accused of supplying drones to Moscow, diplomatic sources said.

The 10th package of sanctions against the Russian Federation includes a list of 34 legal entities subject to the new restrictive measures. In particular, the list includes the companies Atomflot (Rosatomflot), United Machine-Building Group, GAZ Group.

Among the sanctioned Russian companies are defense, machine-building, technology and research companies.

According to Russian sources, the list of new entities sanctioned by the European Union includes the Space Research and Production Center “M.V. Khrunichev”, the Dubna Machine-Building Plant named after N.P. Fedorov, the SA “195 Repair Plant of Rocket and Artillery Weapons”, the SA “Research Institute of Gas-Discharge Devices “Plasma””, the LLC Lipetsk Mechanical Plant, the SA “Ural Civil Aviation Plant”, the State Bureau of Design and Machine Construction “RADUGA” named after A.Y. Bereznyak, the scientific and production company “Kaluga Instrument-Making Plant “Typhoon” in particular.

The sanctions also target several Russian banks, namely Alfa-Bank, Rosbank and Tinkoff Bank, following the publication of the Official Journal of the EU.

The European Union also adopted a decision on 25th February and published in the Official Journal of the EU, by which it considers that “the supply of gas storage capacity in the Union to Russian nationals, natural persons resident in Russia or legal persons or entities established in Russia should be prohibited. As gas storage capacity is a critical asset for the security of gas supply to the Union, such a ban is necessary to avoid the instrumentalisation by Russia of its gas supply and the risks of market manipulation that would harm the Union’s critical energy supply.”

Pursuant to Council Decision (CFSP) 2023/434 of 25 February 2023 amending Decision 2014/512/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia’s actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine, the European Union prohibits, from 27 March 2023, allowing Russian nationals or natural persons resident in Russia to hold positions on the governing bodies of owners or operators of critical infrastructure, European critical infrastructures and critical entities.

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The European Union also prohibits the transit through the territory of Russia of dual-use goods and technologies and weapons exported from the Union.

The Council also imposes sanctions on organizations, such as Rossyia Segodnya, and individuals such as writers, presenters and high-level executives of major television channels and media groups, propagandists and other personalities. They pollute public space with disinformation, adding to military warfare through information warfare.

Four Iranian individuals involved in the development and supply of drones used by Russia against Ukraine are also being sanctioned.

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The lists published on February 25 also cover economic actors in sectors providing a substantial source of revenue or financially supporting the government of Russia. The sanctioned entities include banks such as Alfa-Bank, Rosbank and Tinkoff Bank, the National Wealth Fund of the Russian Federation and the Russian National Reinsurance Company.

In total, EU restrictive measures against actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine now apply to a total of 1473 individuals and 205 entities. Designated persons are subject to an asset freeze and EU citizens and companies are prohibited from making funds available to them. Natural persons are also subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through EU territory.

Operators of aircraft operating non-scheduled flights between Russia and the Union, directly or via a third country, shall notify all relevant information concerning the flight to their competent authorities before it is carried out, and at least 48 hours in advance.

The leaders of the European Union (27 States) have promised in recent weeks that the 10th package of sanctions would enter into force by 24th February, the date of the entry of the Russian armies into Ukraine, on the grounds of “the protection of the Russian-speaking populations of Donbass and the restoration of Ukraine’s neutrality“.

In the reasons for the decisions and regulations adopted on 25 February 2023, the European Union states that it “continues to provide full support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.”

On February 9, the European Council reaffirmed the Union’s readiness to continue to strengthen its restrictive measures against Russia and stated that anti-circumvention measures would be strengthened.

On February 16, US Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland announced that the United States and its G7 partners were preparing a new “major” sanctions package against Russia “around February 24”, the first anniversary of the war. The restrictions are expected to affect in particular the Russian military-industrial complex and the supply of high-tech equipment to the Russian Federation, she told a press briefing.

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