Third Year of the War in Ukraine: EU Prepares 16th Sanctions Package Against Russia by 24 February

The European Union intends to adopt the 16th package of sanctions against Russia on 24 February, the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, German newspaper Welt am Sonntag reports, citing sources.

The newspaper's journalists received information about such plans from diplomatic circles in Brussels.

This package should send a ‘clear message’ to Moscow and will include ‘measures against specific sectors of the Russian economy that have not been covered at all or have been covered insufficiently,’ the informed EU diplomats said. 

The 16th package of sanctions will also include further sanctions against individuals and organisations ‘considered to be propagandists of the Russian regime and responsible for undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity’.

Among other things, the European Commission and the European External Action Service would like to impose an entry ban and freeze the assets of others who have spied for Russia and participated in disinformation campaigns, including in Germany.

At the same time, Brussels said that it would be ‘difficult’ to trace the involvement of individuals in the so-called hybrid Russian attacks and prove their involvement in the crime. For this reason, it has not yet been decided whether sanctions will be imposed on 24 February for spying for Russia and disinformation.

Earlier in December, the European Union introduced the 15th package of sanctions against Russia. In particular, 52 more vessels from the Russian ‘shadow fleet’ were punished by a ban on access to ports and certain services. The package also includes restrictions against 54 individuals and 30 legal entities, including two high-ranking Chinese officials.