EU publishes names of Russians against whom sanctions were not extended

The Babel reported this.

According to the media outlet, Berezkin, Akhmedov, and Shulgin were sanctioned as "influential businessmen" in sectors that finance Russian aggression.

However, in September 2023, the European Court of General Jurisdiction ruled to exclude Shulgin from the sanctions lists. The former CEO of the Russian online retailer Ozon, challenged the term "influential businessman" used by the EU Council when it put him on the sanctions list, сlaiming that he had resigned from his position. 

Farhad Akhmedov is a Russian billionaire of Azerbaijani descent who has been involved in various industries, including natural resources, oil and gas, and shipping. Akhmedov is ranked 99th in the Russian Forbes rating. His assets amounted to $1.1 billion two years ago.

Berezkin is the owner of the Euroseverneft group of companies. He also owns the RBC media holding. In 2021, Berezkin was ranked 157th in the Forbes ranking of Russia's richest businessmen with a net worth of $750 million.

Shuvaev was a colonel in the Russian army, he headed the missile and artillery troops of the First Tank Army of the Western Military District of the Russian Armed Forces. He was killed in the war in October 2022.

Previously, on September 13, the Council of the European Union decided to extend sanctions against Russian individuals and legal entities responsible for violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine for six months.

Sanctions against Russia

The new 11th sanctions package against Russia was supposed to be adopted by the end of May, but Budapest demanded that three Hungarian companies be removed from the list. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that due to Ukraine's inclusion of the Hungarian OTP Bank in the list of war sponsors, it would be difficult for Budapest to agree with the EU on new sanctions against Russia.

Greece also demanded that its companies be removed from the list.

On May 8, the Financial Times reported that the European Union may impose sanctions on several Chinese companies for supplying electronics to Russia.

In June, Politico reported that Germany, France, and several other EU member states fear that measures aimed at preventing Russians from circumventing sanctions could have a negative impact on diplomatic relations.

On June 15, Bloomberg wrote that the EU may remove 5 Chinese companies with ties to Russia from the new sanctions list.

On June 21, EU ambassadors agreed on a new package of sanctions against Russia, which includes the elimination of loopholes that help the Russians circumvent previously imposed restrictions.

On June 28, Switzerland added new individuals and organizations to the list of restrictions on Russia, thus supporting the 11th EU sanctions package.

On July 20, Australia imposed new restrictions on 35 organisations from the Russian defence, technology and energy sectors, as well as 10 ministers, senior Russian officials and military officers from Belarus.

The EU Council also extended sanctions against certain sectors of the Russian economy for another six months.