Russia’s military-industrial complex and those involved in the “elections” in TOTs — who is included in EU’s new sanctions package against Russia and Ukraine’s response

Within the sanctions regime against the Russian Federation for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has approved its largest-ever package of sanctions, which covers nearly 1,600 individuals and entities in Russia’s military-industrial complex. In a separate decision, the Council of the EU imposed sanctions on 77 individuals involved in organizing and holding the illegal "elections" to the Russian State Duma in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. The Council of the EU listed what was included in the new package on October 12, UNN reports.

Details

"In response to the continuation and escalation of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, including its recent brutal military campaign deliberately directed against civilian infrastructure and causing severe suffering to the civilian population, today the Council (EU) adopted additional restrictive measures against 1,569 individuals and entities in Russia’s military-industrial complex. The agreed lists include 826 Russian companies and 743 individuals who hold the positions of chief executive officers of these companies," the statement said.

This, it is noted, is the largest sanctions list ever agreed by the EU, and the total number of entities sanctioned under this sanctions regime is approaching 4,600.

"Today, the EU adopted its largest package of sanctions lists since 2022. Around 1,600 are directed against Russia’s military-industrial complex. More than half concern the production chain of ballistic missiles that Russia uses every day to kill Ukrainian civilians. The bombing of Kyiv’s bridges, vessels transporting grain, and the National Academy of Sciences are not the actions of a country seeking peace. Now is not the time to ease pressure on Moscow, but to increase it," said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and President of the Council of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, Kaja Kallas.

What is included in the sanctions lists

Today’s sanctions package, it is noted, is "specifically targeting mid-level suppliers representing the ‘core’ of Russia’s military industry, generating an annual turnover of at least €20 billion and employing more than 250,000 people."

"The companies included on the list are suppliers of key components for some of Russia’s most advanced weapons systems, including missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and aircraft. Such key components include: electronics, including semiconductors, microchips, and computers; communications equipment, including radars, antennas, and receivers; aviation, satellite, and missile systems; explosives and ammunition, as well as optics and navigation systems," the statement said.

Those included under this sanctions regime, as stated, "are subject to an asset freeze, and the provision of funds or economic resources to them, directly or indirectly, or for their benefit, is prohibited. In addition, the individuals listed are subject to a travel ban to the EU."

The EU also imposed sanctions on 77 individuals under the sanctions regime for organizing the "elections" to the Russian State Duma in September 2026 by the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. These include 74 "candidates" from various Russian parties in the temporarily occupied territories, as well as three members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation.

The relevant legal acts, it is reported, were published in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Those sanctioned include, in particular:

• Serhii Arbuzov, former Governor of the National Bank of Ukraine and former acting Prime Minister, who was a candidate from the A Just Russia party and took part in the illegal so-called "elections" to the Russian State Duma;
• Yanina Pavlenko, the so-called "mayor of Yalta"; a candidate from the United Russia party who took part in the illegal so-called "elections" to the Russian State Duma; former director of the Novy Svet sparkling wine factory; former production director of the Masandra agricultural union.

The EU’s restrictive measures against Russia’s military-industrial complex also apply to:

• Serhii Hureyev, General Director of the Joint Rocket and Space Corporation joint-stock company;

• Vasyl Burenok, who is the president of the "Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences";
• Serhii Pitikov, CEO of the "Machine-Building Design Bureau Scientific and Production Corporation," which, according to HUR data, is a developer and manufacturer of 9M723 "Iskander-M" ballistic missiles and Kh-47M2 "Kinzhal" aeroballistic missiles, "Strela," "Igla," and "Verba" man-portable air-defense systems, the "Khrizantema-S" anti-tank guided missile system, "Ataka" guided missiles, the "Arena" active protection system, and the "Izdeliye 305" missile;
• Viktor Ivanov, CEO of the "Research Institute of Precision Instruments," which, according to EU data, operates in the space and military spheres and supplies Russia's Ministry of Defense with specialized equipment and services. The company is part of the state corporation "Roscosmos" and is working on a new satellite system for the Russian army — the Kasatka-R space-based synthetic-aperture radar;
• Dmytro Avtaikin, CEO of the "Russian Corporation of Rocket and Space Instrumentation and Information Systems," whose main areas of activity, according to HUR data, are the creation, development, and targeted use of the GLONASS global navigation satellite system.

Ukraine's response

The Office of the President and Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the EU's expansion of sanctions against russia.

"This is a very powerful decision! Thank you, Council of the EU! Is there anything related to ending exports of alumina from the EU to russia in this package? In the next package?" — commented Serhii Kyslytsia, First Deputy Head of the Office of the President, on X.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha also welcomed the unprecedentedly extensive expansion of the EU's sanctions lists against russia — nearly 1,600 new sanctions listings targeting its military-industrial complex, more than half of which are linked to the production of ballistic missiles.

"Special thanks to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, for her determined leadership, as well as to all EU member states — for their unity and steadfastness. Against the backdrop of the latest brutal Russian strikes on Ukrainian cities, the timing and scale of this decision are particularly significant. moscow is intensifying its terror. Europe is demonstrating that its response can be just as resolute. The kremlin has been trying for years to divide Europe. Today, Europe is demonstrating why moscow fears its unity so much," Sybiha said.

The Foreign Minister emphasized that moscow must not be able to regard the cost of another attack as merely another acceptable expense. The cost of aggression must continue to exceed any calculations made by the kremlin.