The European Commission welcomed EU Member States’ adoption of the 19th sanctions package against Russia and outlined measures aimed at tightening constraints on Russia’s energy revenues, financial system and supporting infrastructure, alongside new trade and services restrictions and strengthened anti-circumvention tools. The package includes a total ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) and a further clamp-down on the “shadow fleet”, and extends financial sanctions to new crypto-related targets. On energy, the measures ban imports of Russian LNG from 1 January 2027 for long-term contracts and within six months of entry into force for short-term contracts, add 117 vessels to the shadow-fleet listings bringing the total to 557 vessels subject to port access and services bans, and expand action across the shadow-fleet value chain, including additional transaction-ban scope for two oil trading companies in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates. The package also introduces a full transaction ban on Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, sanctions certain Chinese entities described as significant buyers of Russian crude oil, bans imports of a variant of liquefied petroleum gas cited as a circumvention route, extends the port infrastructure ban to enable listing of third-country ports, and adds further prohibitions on energy-related services. Financial measures include adding five Russian banks to the transaction ban, new bans on Russia’s Mir payment card and SBP fast payment system, and listings of four financial institutions in Belarus and Kazakhstan that use the SPFS system, alongside transaction bans on five third-country banks in Central Asia. For crypto, the package imposes sanctions on the developer and Kyrgyz issuer of the rouble-backed stablecoin A7A5 and a related trading platform, prohibits the use of that cryptocurrency, targets a cryptocurrency exchange in Paraguay linked to circumvention, and bans EU operators from providing crypto services and certain fintech services that support Russia’s financial infrastructure. Trade measures expand export restrictions on dual-use items and advanced technologies and introduce new export bans covering items corresponding to EUR 155 million of EU exports at 2024 prices, while anti-circumvention provisions add 45 entities, and 69 additional listings include 11 individuals linked to the abduction and forced assimilation of Ukrainian children alongside a new listing criterion for such conduct. Other elements include prohibitions on entering into new contracts with entities established in certain Russian special economic zones, with Alabuga and Technopolis Moscow also subject to a ban covering existing contracts, new service bans including certain space-based and AI services, and a prior authorisation requirement for any non-prohibited services to the Russian government. The package also prohibits re-insurance for vessels and aircraft of the Russian government or Russian persons for up to five years after their sale to third countries, and introduces advance notification requirements, and potential authorisation requirements by Member States, for Russian diplomats travelling across the EU beyond their country of accreditation.

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