The EU Council today approved the eleventh package of sanctions against Moscow, aimed at strengthening existing EU sanctions and tackling their circumvention.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell said: “Our sanctions are already having a serious impact on the Russian economy and the Kremlin’s ability to finance its aggression. Today’s package increases our pressure on Russia and Putin’s war machine. By confronting sanctions circumvention, we will maximize pressure on Russia by further depriving it of the resources it so desperately needs for its illegal war against Ukraine.”

The 11th package of sanctions against Russia includes the following areas:

SANCTION BYPASS TOOL

In order to tackle the growing circumvention of European sanctions, the EU decided to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation with third countries and the provision of technical assistance.

In cases where cooperation does not produce the desired results, the EU will take swift, proportionate and targeted action, which is solely aimed at depriving Russia of the resources that allow it to continue its aggressive war against Ukraine, in the form of appropriate individual measures to address the facilitation of sanctions circumvention by third country actors.

The EU will re-engage in a constructive dialogue with these third countries after the adoption of such individual measures.

If, despite individual sanctions and further commitment, circumvention remains substantial and systemic, the EU will be able to take emergency measures of last resort. In this case, the Council may unanimously decide to restrict the sale, supply, transfer or export of goods and technology whose export to Russia is already prohibited – in particular battlefield products and technologies – to third countries which are proven that they circumvent the sanctions.

PROHIBITION OF PASSING

In order to further minimize the risk of sanctions circumvention, today’s decision prohibits the transit through Russian territory of more goods and technology that may contribute to Russia’s military and technological improvement or to the development of its defense or security sector, goods and technology suitable for use in the aviation or space industry and jet fuel and fuel additives, exported from the EU to third countries.

IMPORT-EXPORT CONTROLS AND RESTRICTIONS

The Council added an additional 87 entities to the list of entities that directly support Russia’s military and industry. They will be subject to stricter export restrictions on dual-use goods and technologies.

The list includes four Iranian entities that manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) and supply them to Russia, other third-country entities involved in circumventing trade restrictions, and some Russian entities involved in the development, production and supply of electronic components for the Russian military and industry.

In addition, the list of prohibited items that could contribute to the technological improvement of Russia’s defense and security sector is expanded, including electronic components, semiconductor materials, manufacturing and testing equipment for electronic integrated circuits and printed circuit boards, precursors of active materials and precursors substances for chemical weapons, optical components, navigational instruments, metals used in the defense sector and marine equipment.

ADDRESSING MISINFORMATION

In order to counter the Russian Federation’s systematic, international campaign of media manipulation and distortion of facts aimed at strengthening its strategy to destabilize its neighboring countries – the EU and its Member States – the Council extended the suspension of broadcasting licenses in five additional media outlets: RT Balkan, Oriental Review, Tsargrad, New Eastern Outlook and Katehon. “These media are under the permanent direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation and are used for its continuous and coordinated propaganda actions aimed at civil society in the EU and neighboring countries, seriously distorting and manipulating the facts,” it says in the in its statement the Council of the EU and adds that “propaganda has repeatedly and consistently targeted European political parties, especially during pre-election periods, as well as civil society, asylum seekers, Russian ethnic minorities, gender minorities and the functioning of democratic institutions in the EU and its Member States.”

TRANSPORTATION OF GOODS

The EU has extended the ban on road transport of goods in the EU to trailers and semi-trailers registered in Russia, even when transported by trucks registered outside Russia.

In addition, in view of the sharp increase in deceptive practices by ships carrying crude oil and petroleum products, the Council decided to prohibit access to EU ports to ships carrying out ship-to-ship transfers if the competent authorities have reasonable suspicion that the ship either violates the ban on the import of seaborne Russian crude oil and petroleum products into the EU or transports Russian crude oil or petroleum products purchased above the agreed price ceiling.

The same ban will apply to ships when the competent authorities have serious reasons to suspect that they are illegally interfering with or disabling their navigation system while transporting Russian crude oil and oil products in violation of international agreements, rules and standards.

ENERGY

The temporary derogation granted to Germany and Poland for the supply of crude oil from Russia via the northern section of the “Druzhba” pipeline will be terminated. However, oil originating in Kazakhstan or another third country will still be able to pass through Russia and enter the EU through the “Druzhba” pipeline.

INDIVIDUAL SANCTIONS

In addition to financial sanctions, the Council decided to add to the list of sanctions over 100 additional individuals and entities subject to asset freezing. This includes senior military officers, war decision makers, individuals involved in the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, judges who made politically motivated decisions against Ukrainian citizens, individuals responsible for the looting of cultural heritage, businessmen, propagandists, as well as Russian IT companies that provide critical technology and software to Russian intelligence services, banks that operate in the occupied territories, and entities that work with the Russian armed forces.