The EU Council today approved the 14th package of sanctions against Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In addition to significant sectors of the economy, the sanctions affected 116 individuals and legal entities, including well-known singers, actors, propagandists, and those working for the FSS (Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation), according to the press release of the European Union Council.
Actors, singers, propagandists
The list includes the well-known singer Polina Gagarina. She regularly performs as part of state propaganda, for example, at events celebrating the illegal annexation of four Ukrainian regions or the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea.
"She thus supports actions which undermine the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Since the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, Polina Gagarina has been able to generate significant revenue through her frequent participation in state-sponsored propaganda events and programs. She, therefore, benefits from the Government of the Russian Federation, which is responsible for the annexation of Crimea and the destabilization of Ukraine," stated the official website of the EU Council.
Sanctions also target the singer Shaman (Yaroslav Dronov), actors Ivan Okhlobystin (known for his role as the flamboyant Dr. Bykov in the TV series Interns), and Viacheslav Manucharov.
The list also includes Aram Gabrelyanov, founder of News Media (which includes Russian platforms Life, Mash, Shot). Also sanctioned is Alexei Goreslavsky, head of the Internet Development Institute, which funded the creation of the series Slovo Patsana.
Additionally, former athlete and TV host Maria Kiselyova (host of the game The Weakest Link) and now a Moscow City Duma deputy are under sanctions.
Business
Under the restrictions is Taimuraz Bolloyev, CEO of Baltika (the Kremlin seized this company from the international conglomerate Carlsberg after the war).
Among the major companies are Russia's largest shipping company, Sovcomflot, the passenger airline Ural Airlines, and the cargo airline Volga-Dnepr (along with their owners).
The list also includes billionaires Roman Trotsenko and Igor Altushkin, as well as the state secretary of the "Russia-Belarus Union State" Dmitry Mezentsev.
Kadyrov's mother, Children's Center Artek, FSS officers and more
Sanctions affected the so-called Kadyrov Foundation and the mother of the head of Chechnya - Aimani Kadyrova (the sanctions list states that the Kadyrov Foundation carried out educational and militaristic programs for Ukrainian children and teenagers with the aim of alienating them from Ukraine and their relatives).
Restrictions also affected Admiral Alexander Moiseyev, Commander of the Russian Navy; Andrei Klychkov, Governor of Oryol Region; Vadim Yakovenko, head of Rosimushchestvo; the Belarusian Union of Youth and its first secretary of the Central Committee, Alexander Lukyanov; and Rodion Miroshnik, Special Envoy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The list includes Ruslan Peretyatko and Andrei Korinets from the Callisto Group. This group comprises Russian military intelligence officers who organize phishing campaigns to collect confidential data in state structures, including defense and foreign relations.
Additionally, restrictive measures are imposed on Alexander Sklyanko and Nikolai Chornykh from the hacker group Armageddon, supported by the Russian FSS. This group carries out cyber-attacks that significantly impact EU member states and Ukraine.
The European Union also included in the sanctions list two active FSS officers in occupied Crimea and Sevastopol and the International Children's Center Artek, which has been under the control of the Russian Ministry of Education since the occupation of Crimea.
Sanctions against Russia
The 14th package of economic and individual sanctions by the EU in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine is significant, as in addition to the individuals mentioned above, one of its key points concerns Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The sanctions package includes a ban on services for transshipping Russian LNG on EU territory for transshipment operations to third countries. This covers ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore transshipment operations.
For more details, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
