The Council of the EU announced that it had adopted additional sanctions against Russia and Belarus on the third anniversary of the start of the Russian attack on Ukraine. Important areas of the Russian economy are affected to further weaken Russia's ability to wage an unjustified and unprovoked war, the statement noted, BTA reported.
The list of sanctioned individuals and organizations has been supplemented, including 48 more citizens and 35 entities responsible for actions against the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The Council of the EU introduces two new indicators for imposing measures against those who own or operate ships of the so-called Russia's shadow fleet and those supporting or benefiting from the Russian military-industrial complex.
Shadow fleet
The list of ships banned from accessing EU ports and receiving services has been expanded. The measure targets tankers that are part of the so-called shadow fleet used to circumvent European measures to curb oil prices, as well as vessels transporting military equipment to Russia or stolen Ukrainian grain. A total of 74 ships from non-EU countries have been added to the list, bringing the total number of vessels affected by EU sanctions to 153.
Finance and banking
For the first time, the EU is banning transactions by credit or financial institutions established outside Russia that use the Financial Messaging System (SPFS) of the Central Bank of Russia. SPFS is a specialized financial messaging service developed by the Central Bank of Russia to overcome the effects of sanctions, the statement said. The Council of the EU extends the ban on the provision of financial messaging services to 13 regional banks identified as important for the Russian financial and banking system.
Trade
The Council adds 53 more entities to the list of entities directly supporting the Russian military-industrial complex. These entities will be subject to stricter restrictions on the export of dual-use goods and technologies. One third of these entities are Russian, while the rest are located in China, including Hong Kong, India, Kazakhstan, Singapore, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan, and have been involved in circumventing sanctions and supplying materials to create drones and missiles used in Russian military operations. Today's decision expands the list of export restrictions to include chemicals used to combat drones, as well as software and controllers for guiding drones.
The EU also imposes sanctions on exports of Russian unwrought aluminium.
Media
The Council decided to suspend the broadcasting licenses in the EU of eight Russian media outlets - EADaily / Eurasia Daily, Fondsk, Lenta, NewsFront, RuBaltic, SouthFront, Strategic Culture Foundation and Krasnaya Zvezda / Tvzvezda. These media outlets are a means of supporting the war and destabilisation, the statement said.
Ports
The EU bans interaction with ports and airports in Russia used for the transfer of drones, missiles or to circumvent European measures on oil prices.
Transports
The Council extends the ban on flights to the EU for airlines with domestic flights in Russia. The transport of goods by land to the EU by operators in which a Russian natural or legal person has a stake of more than 25% is prohibited. Changes in the capital structure of road transport companies that would increase the share of a Russian natural or legal person to more than 25% are prohibited.
Energy
Additional restrictions are imposed on the export of goods and technology, in particular software for the exploration of oil and gas fields, and the ban on the provision of goods, technology and services for the completion of projects for the extraction of crude oil and liquefied natural gas in Russia is extended. The provision of temporary storage of Russian crude oil and petroleum products in the EU is prohibited, regardless of the purchase price of the oil and the place of final delivery.
Belarus
Additional sanctions are imposed on Belarus, including on the sale or provision of services and software, deposits and wallets for crypto assets and transport.
Crimea and Sevastopol
The Council is introducing new restrictions on Crimea and Sevastopol, as well as on the non-Kiev-controlled areas of Ukraine in the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhia regions. These restrictions concern the provision of accounting, auditing, tax, business and management consulting, public relations, construction, architecture, engineering, legal consulting, market research and public opinion polling, and advertising services.