Drones, banks, and TV channels: EU announces 9th sanctions package

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reported this. 

“We propose to add almost 200 more individuals and legal entities to our sanctions list. This includes the Russian Armed Forces, as well as individual officers and defense-industrial enterprises, members of the State Duma and the Federation Council, ministers, governors and political parties, etc. This list includes key figures in Russia's brutal and deliberate missile attacks on the civilian population, in the abduction of Ukrainian children to Russia, and in the theft of Ukrainian agricultural products,” the head of the European Commission said.

The EU is also imposing sanctions on three Russian banks, including a blanket ban on transactions by the Russian Regional Development Bank, to further paralyze Putin's ATMs.

The sanctions package also includes new export control measures, in particular on dual-use goods - these are key chemicals, nerve agents, electronics, and IT components that can be used by the Russian military machine.

The restrictions also apply to additional economic measures in the Russian energy and mining sectors, as well as the removal of four more propaganda channels from the air.

“We will block Russia's access to all kinds of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles. We propose to ban direct exports of drone engines to Russia and exports to any third countries, such as Iran, that may supply drones to Russia,” von der Leyen added.

According to her, this package is complemented by the EU's complete ban on the import of Russian marine oil, which came into effect this week. As well as the global cap on oil prices agreed by the G7.