EU prepares sweeping new Russia sanctions as Ukraine war intensifies

The European Union is preparing what foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has described as its most far-reaching sanctions package against Russia since the war in Ukraine began.

Speaking to the German newspaper Die Welt, Kallas said the new measures would be unveiled in the autumn and could increase the number of sanctioned Russian entities by around a third if adopted.

“EU sanctions have already cost Russia dearly, depriving Russia’s war machine of over €1 trillion,” Kallas said. “The pressure must keep growing until Moscow ends its war.”

New measures could expand sanctions list

Kallas did not provide details of the proposed package or give a precise date for its introduction.

The EU approved its latest sanctions package in July, targeting parts of Russia’s banking sector and cryptocurrency networks. Kallas said further action was needed to maintain pressure on Moscow.

She also pointed to recent moves in the U.S., saying the passage of a sanctions bill by the U.S. Senate had raised hopes that Washington and Brussels could align more closely in their approach to Russia.

“Europe is facing an increasing hybrid threat,” Kallas said, citing what she described as sabotage, espionage and cyberattacks that are “in most cases attributable to Moscow”.

Kallas warns over European security

Kallas also highlighted recent incidents in which Russian missiles and drones entered Polish and Romanian airspace, saying they were testing the resolve and defences of European countries.

“Such incidents are unacceptable, and they show Moscow’s growing ruthlessness,” she said. “If we respond too weakly, we will see even more such incidents.”

She welcomed Germany’s plans to reform its intelligence services, saying stronger capabilities would help Europe respond to the growing threat.

Sanctions put pressure on Russia’s economy

Since 2022, Brussels has imposed successive rounds of sanctions targeting Russian energy, finance, trade and access to technology. The EU says the measures have cut Russian revenues and increased pressure on the country's economy.

Russian officials, however, have repeatedly dismissed the sanctions as ineffective. The Kremlin has also said Moscow will respond to any new EU measures in line with its national interests.

Russia, Ukraine exchange strikes

Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged fresh overnight drone and missile attacks, with strikes reported in Kyiv, the Moscow region and Ukraine’s southern Odesa region.

A Russian attack targeted port infrastructure in Odesa overnight, damaging a civilian Togo-flagged vessel and injuring four people, according to Ukrainian authorities. Fires caused by the attack were later extinguished.

Russia’s Defence Ministry said its forces had struck military targets at the port of Izmail, including a terminal used to unload military cargo, storage facilities for Western equipment and naval drone depots. Reuters could not independently verify the claims.

In a separate strike, Russia said it had hit a patrol boat and fuel storage tanks in Odesa.

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian drone attack on an industrial facility in Russia’s Astrakhan region killed a woman, according to the regional governor.

Ukrainian drones also targeted the Moscow region, where an 83-year-old man was killed and several others were injured. A Wildberries warehouse and other facilities were damaged, while Russia said it had shot down hundreds of Ukrainian drones.

Ukraine reported 233 combat engagements along the front line in the previous 24 hours, while Russia said its forces had captured two settlements in Ukraine. Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield claims.

Read more about Ukraine-Russia:

• Russia and Ukraine trade large-scale attacks on energy and military sites
• Why Ust-Luga and Russian ports matter to Ukraine’s war
• Ukraine civilian casualties reach highest level since 2022, UN reports

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