Brussels has dealt another powerful blow to the Russian economy by introducing the 18th consecutive sanctions package, which covers multiple strategic sectors and activities. The union's official representative Kaja Kallas emphasized the exceptional targeting of the undertaken actions.
The key elements of the new restrictions include a drastic reduction of oil revenues by lowering the export ceiling to $47.6 per barrel - significantly below the previous limit of $60. This move aims to directly limit Russia's financial income from the energy sector.
The restrictions on maritime transport are extremely serious, covering 105 ships from the so-called "shadow fleet". These vessels are prohibited from accessing European ports and related services, which further complicates Russian logistics operations.
The sanctions mechanism also includes a complete ban on the export of high-tech components potentially applicable in military production. Special emphasis is placed on limiting technologies for the production of unmanned aerial vehicles.
The financial sector is also targeted - Russian banks receive drastically narrowed opportunities for international financing and access to payment systems. In parallel, a complete blockade of the Nord Stream pipeline is imposed, which prevents any potential resumption of its activities.
An extremely important element of the sanctions are the restrictions against organizations participating in programs for ideological processing of Ukrainian children, demonstrating the broad scope of the measures taken.
The official position of the EU remains unchanged - gradually increasing pressure on Moscow until the military aggression against Ukraine is completely stopped.