EU adopts 19th sanctions package against Russia: what’s included

The European Union has officially adopted its 19th sanctions package against the Russian Federation, aimed at further limiting its ability to finance the war against Ukraine, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, announced.

The measures target Russian banks and crypto exchanges that Russia has used to circumvent previous restrictions. They also target organizations in India and China that allegedly assist Russia in obtaining critical goods and technologies despite international sanctions.

In addition to economic measures, the EU is taking diplomatic actions, restricting the movements of Russian diplomats within EU territory to counter attempts to destabilize European countries.

We just adopted our 19th sanctions package.

It targets Russian banks, crypto exchanges, entities in India and China, among others.

The EU is curbing Russian diplomats' movements to counter the attempts of destabilization.

It is increasingly harder for Putin to fund this war.

- Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) October 23, 2025

According to a European diplomat speaking to LIGA.net, the package introduces a gradual ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG transported by sea). The ban will take effect in six months for short-term contracts and on January 1, 2027, for long-term contracts, in line with the European Commission's RePowerEU provisions.

Sanctions have been imposed on 117 shadow fleet vessels, including restrictions on port access, ship-to-ship transshipment, and reinsurance, bringing the total number of targeted vessels to 558. Criteria for including third-country ports used to transfer UAVs, missiles, or to circumvent oil sanctions have been expanded.

The package also prohibits reinsurance for used Russian aircraft and ships during the first five years after their sale to third countries. Five Russian banks face a full transaction ban, which has also been extended to the Mir and Sistema Bystrykh Pryklyatok payment systems, as well as four banks in Belarus and Kazakhstan.

Additionally, eight entities in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Paraguay, the UAE, and Hong Kong—including five banks, one crypto exchange, and two oil traders—are now subject to transaction bans. The restrictions also apply to mirror or successor entities of previously sanctioned organizations.

European operators are now prohibited from entering into new contracts with nine Russian Special Economic Zones (SEZs), and all contracts in the Alabuga and Technopolis Moscow SEZs are completely banned. A total ban on crypto-asset services has been introduced for Russian citizens, residents, and companies.

The sanctions list includes 45 new entities involved in circumventing restrictions, 17 of which are outside Russia: three in India, two in Thailand, and 12 in China (Hong Kong), many linked to UAV development. Export bans have been expanded to limit Russia's access to dual-use and high-tech items, industrial goods, salts, rubber, construction materials, and other high-tech goods.

European operators are prohibited from providing services directly related to tourism in Russia. Restrictions on artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, and commercial space services have also been extended. New sanctions criteria have been introduced for individuals involved in the abduction of Ukrainian children by Russian forces.

• On October 22, the United States imposed new sanctions on Russia, targeting two of Russia's largest oil companies Rosneft and Lukoil and their numerous subsidiaries.
• The EU adopted its previous, 18th sanctions package on July 18, 2025.