On 23 October 2025, the European Commission announced the adoption of the EU’s 19th sanctions package against Russia, significantly intensifying pressure on its war economy. European Commission
Key measures include:
- A full ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports: for short-term contracts within six months, and for long-term contracts from 1 January 2027. European Commission
- A transaction ban on major Russian oil and gas companies Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, removing prior exemptions. European Commission
- Expansion of the shadow-fleet list: 117 new vessels added, bringing the total to 557, making them subject to port-access and service bans. European Commission
- Financial-sector restrictions: Five additional Russian banks banned from EU transactions; new bans on the Russian payment systems (Mir, SBP). European Commission
- For the first time: sanctions directly targeting cryptocurrency assets and exchanges used to circumvent existing measures. European Commission
- Trade and export controls: New restrictions on dual-use goods and advanced materials (metals, ores, construction materials) used in weapon systems; new listings of entities enabling Russia’s arms industry. European Commission
- Measures tackling circumvention: 45 additional entities (28 in Russia, 17 in third countries including China, India, Thailand) added for their role in enabling Russia’s war machine. European Commission
- Special Economic Zones (SEZs): Prohibition on new contracts with entities in certain Russian SEZs; two zones (Alabuga, Technopolis Moscow) are subject to bans on existing contracts. European Commission
- Service bans: Blocks on advanced digital and space-based services to Russia; re-insurance services to Russian state-owned vessels and aircraft prohibited for up to five years after sale. European Commission
- Diplomats: Russian diplomats travelling beyond their accreditation within the EU must now notify Member States in advance; individual Member States may impose authorisation requirements. European Commission
This package marks a major escalation in the EU’s sanctions regime, expanding the scope far beyond previous energy and finance-measures, and aiming to close existing loopholes and tighten enforcement.