EU Adds to Russia Sanctions With Chemical Weapons, Human Rights Designations
The EU issued a new set of sanctions this week for people and entities with ties to chemical weapons, human rights abuses and Russian "hybrid threats." The additions were announced concurrently with the bloc's 17th sanctions package on Russia (see 2505200057).
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Under the chemical weapons restrictions list, the EU added three Russian entities: the Radiological Chemical and Biological Defence Troops, the 27th Scientific Centre and the 33rd Central Scientific Research and Testing Institute of the Russian Ministry of Defence. The parties were added following reports from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons "confirming the presence of riot control agents such as chemical CS (2-Chlorobenzalmalononitrile) and related compounds in the samples collected at the frontlines in Ukraine," the Council of the European Union said.
Under its human rights sanctions regime, the council added 28 members of the Russian judiciary to the list. The additions include judges, prosecutors and representatives of the Russian Supreme Court and regional courts. Many of them played a role in the persecution of Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny and other activists.
Regarding Russian hybrid threats, the council sanctioned 21 people and six entities and imposed sectoral restrictions on other Russian parties. As part of the announcement, the council broadened the scope of its sanctioning authority to "target tangible assets linked to Russia’s destabilising activities, such as vessels, aircraft, real estate, and physical elements of digital and communication networks," along with transactions of credit and financial institutions and entities providing crypto-asset services.
The council's expansion of its powers also included the ability to "suspend the broadcasting licences of Russian media outlets under the control of the Russian leadership, and to prohibit them from broadcasting their content in the EU." This won't bar targeted media outlets from conducting activities in the EU other than broadcasting, sparing activities such as research and interviews.
Other designations targeted people working in the media sector in Ukraine and around the world, including former Ukrainian politician Viktor Medvedchuk, and others involved in activities that undermine the "democratic political process in Estonia," the council said. In addition, fishing companies Norebo JSC and Murman Sea Food were sanctioned for their roles in a Russian state-sponsored surveillance campaign.