Asger Risom
Brussels strikes at maritime networks and Kremlin-backed media in latest move against Moscow.
As the war in Ukraine drags into its fourth year, the European Union has intensified its strategy to pressure Moscow. On Wednesday, the EU announced a new wave of sanctions aimed at curbing Russia’s evasive tactics and information warfare efforts.
Seventeenth Sanctions Package Targets Evasion Networks
The seventeenth package of sanctions focuses primarily on what the EU calls Russia’s “ghost fleet”—foreign-flagged vessels used to circumvent restrictions on energy exports.
As reported by 20minutos, the measures include a legal framework to sanction fleets involved in damaging critical infrastructure such as undersea cables, servers, and airports.
Additionally, the EU is cracking down on so-called “financial facilitators,” individuals and entities accused of helping Russia evade previous rounds of sanctions.
For the first time, legal mechanisms will allow the direct targeting of those who design or execute schemes to sidestep economic restrictions.
Countering Kremlin Propaganda and Human Rights Violations
The new package also penalizes twenty individuals and entities engaged in pro-Kremlin propaganda and disinformation campaigns, both inside and outside Russia. These sanctions aim to disrupt efforts to undermine European democracies and manipulate global narratives about the war in Ukraine.
The measures also include sanctions against twenty Russian judges and prosecutors linked to the persecution of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died in prison in February 2024, and journalist Vladimir Kara-Murza.
In addition, the EU has prohibited European companies from exporting certain chemicals to Russia that could be used in missile production, tightening the net around Moscow’s military-industrial complex.
A Unified Message from Europe
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen hailed the measures, stating, “We are further restricting Russia’s access to battlefield technology and adding 189 vessels from the shadow fleet to our sanctions list. This war must end. We will keep the pressure on the Kremlin.”
European Council President Antonio Costa added, “This is a strong signal that the EU remains united behind the people of Ukraine.”