The European Union is proposing to sanction more than a dozen individuals and three entities as part of the bloc's first set of measures targeting Russia for its disinformation operations and other hybrid activities, BNR reported.
The proposed measures would target several Russian officers and intelligence groups, as well as government officials and media entrepreneurs, according to a draft seen by Bloomberg.
The restrictions are part of a new sanctions regime approved earlier this year that focuses on disinformation operations and other Russian-sponsored destabilizing activities worldwide.
The bloc is also proposing additional sanctions on Belarus, including on about two dozen individuals accused of human rights abuses or benefiting materially from their relationship with the government of President Alexander Lukashenko, the agency also reported.
EU foreign ministers aim to approve the packages when they meet on Monday in Brussels - ahead of elections scheduled for next month in Belarus.
The proposals come after the EU agreed last night on a 15th package of sanctions against Russia over its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The measures include restrictions on more than 45 oil tankers involved in the clandestine transport of Russian crude and several Chinese entities accused of helping Moscow develop attack drones.
The Hungarian EU presidency said on the social media platform "X" last night that the sanctions would target vessels from third countries supporting Russia's war in Ukraine, while adding more individuals and entities to the sanctions list, Reuters reported.
The sanctions will not be adopted until EU foreign ministers approve the package on Monday.
Diplomats told Reuters that the package also includes a six-month extension for the Czech Republic to import Russian oil products, mainly via Slovakia.
“I welcome the adoption of our 15th package of sanctions, targeting in particular Russia's shadow fleet,“ wrote in "X" the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.
The sanctions package is likely to be formally adopted at a meeting of EU foreign ministers on Monday (December 16) and will target nearly 30 legal entities, more than 50 individuals and 45 tankers.
There are currently 2,200 individuals and organizations on the sanctions list, which bans travel and freezes their assets within the 27-member bloc, Reuters reminds.
The Belgian Defense Ministry suspects that Russia may be behind discreet operations to check the security of its military sites, the Belgian news agency Belga reported, quoted by BTA.
In a written parliamentary response, Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder reviewed incidents in recent years near an army explosives disposal unit in Eastern Flanders.
Until recently, suspicious activities near the fence, such as filming or reconnaissance, have been relatively few. In 2020, five incidents were recorded, in 2021 - nine, and in 2022 - seven. However, their number is increasing sharply, reaching 20 registered incidents in 2023 and 26 in 2024, with the last three months of the year not yet reported.
In addition, damage to the fences around the unit has increased sharply - 19 cases in 2023 and 15 so far in 2024, compared to sporadic cases in previous years. In the first nine months of 2024 Eleven people have broken into the facility, two to three times more than in previous years.
According to the Belgian Ministry of Defense, the main purpose of these intrusions is not to destroy or steal, but to "test" the facility. It is believed that Russia is organizing these tests using random people in Belgium. Among the people who have entered the facility are asylum seekers housed in former military barracks that are now reception centers.