On October 12, the EU added 1,569 individuals and entities to its Russia sanctions list—the largest single measure since the Ukraine war began.
The number of sanctioned targets has increased to about 4,600, including 826 companies and 743 senior executives. Designated targets are immediately subject to asset freezes within the EU, entry bans, and a ban on the provision of economic support.
The companies designated this time are key mid-sized players in Russia’s defense industrial ecosystem, generating at least €20 billion in annual revenue and employing more than 250,000 people. They are identified as having supplied essential components for cutting-edge weapons systems, including semiconductors, communications equipment, and explosives used in missiles, drones, and aircraft.
EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said, “More than half of the newly sanctioned targets are linked to the ballistic missile production network used to attack Ukraine,” and “Now is not the time to ease pressure on Russia, but to strengthen it further.”
In addition, the EU added three individuals and four entities to its DPRK sanctions list, including Ri Song-jin, a researcher at the National Aerospace Technology Administration, and Paekyangsan Shipping, targeting the DPRK, which is deepening military and economic ties with Russia.
