New sanctions against TV and drone companies

The ninth package was agreed late Thursday when ambassadors of EU countries met in parallel with the Summit of Heads of State and Government in Brussels.

Officially, it all became clear around lunchtime on Friday, although the exact details will not be released until after they are published in the official channels of the European Union.

In a press release issued by the Council of Ministers, the main lines are outlined: Among other things, the sanctions relate to a significant amount of additional goods that are now subject to an export ban to Russia. This includes everything from chemicals and radio navigation equipment to electronics and drones. Another 168 companies or organizations have been placed on the sanctions list.

Also listed are the Russian Regional Development Bank and four major TV channels: NTV/Mir, Rossiya 1, Ren TV, and Channel 1 (Pervy Channel). However, the fact that potential broadcasts were stopped in the EU does not mean that their journalists are prohibited from working or reporting from the various EU countries.

More controversially, there was the potential for some exceptions to allow people on the sanctions list to use certain assets, even though they were already frozen. However, it only concerns people who have “significant roles” in the international trade of food and agricultural products, including fertilizers, before being included in the sanctions list. The intention is, among other things, to stress that the EU has no sanctions against the export of Russian food and fertilizers.