Brussels adds new names to blacklist in new sanctions package against Russia

2025-12-10 16:41:27, Kosova & Bota CNA

European Union ambassadors decided on Wednesday to impose additional sanctions against Russia, adding several individuals and entities to the new blacklist package, which was drafted in response to the Kremlin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost four years ago.

Although this is not a broad sanctions package that includes restrictive measures against sectors against Moscow as in the past, the bloc has focused the measures on five individuals involved in the global oil business, with the aim of hitting Russia as it trades below the oil price ceiling set by the G7 countries, which is currently $47.6 per barrel.

In the official document, which Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has seen, Azerbaijani businessman Talat Safarov has been blacklisted.

Safarov is the chief executive of 2Rivers Group, a United Arab Emirates-based oil trading company that, according to Brussels, is active in the transportation and export of Russian oil, particularly from state energy giant Rosneft, while concealing the true origin of the oil.

Pakistani businessman Murtaza Ali Lakhani is also targeted by sanctions for allegedly controlling "vessels transporting crude oil or petroleum products, originating in or exported from Russia, using irregular and high-risk maritime transport practices."

These practices include using ships without proper insurance and turning off marine tracking devices while sailing.

Three Russian individuals and four companies have also been sanctioned.

Two of these firms are based in the United Arab Emirates and are believed to have been involved in the recent transport of Russian oil. A company based in Vietnam and another in Russia have been implicated in owning or managing tankers that are part of the Russian “shadow fleet.”

Meanwhile, Brussels is expected to add 43 ships it believes are part of the current shadow fleet to a list on Friday. The list, which has over 500 ships, bars these vessels from receiving any service in EU ports.

EU ambassadors also agreed to target individuals they believe have carried out destabilizing activities on behalf of Russia around the world.

The updated list includes John Mark Dougan, a dual American-Russian citizen and former Florida deputy sheriff who moved to Russia nearly a decade ago.

He is accused of participating in pro-Kremlin digital information operations by Moscow with the aim of "influencing elections, discrediting political figures and manipulating public discourse in Western countries."

Former Swiss army colonel Jacques Baud is also on the list for acting "as a spokesman for pro-Russian propaganda and spreading conspiracy theories, for example, accusing Ukraine of orchestrating its own invasion to join NATO."

Former French army officer Xavier Moreau has been implicated in similar actions.

Others sanctioned include Dmitry Suslov, Fyodor Lukyanov and Andrei Sushentsov, who are described as foreign policy analysts with close ties to the Valdai Discussion Club. They are accused of spreading Kremlin-linked disinformation.

A number of officials from Russia's Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) have been listed and accused of responsibility in various cyberattacks in recent years against Ukraine and EU member states./REL