The new set of punitive measures was unveiled by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, public broadcaster Polish Radio’s IAR news agency reported.
Some 200 individuals and entities are set to be added to the sanctions list, according to the Reuters news agency.
Russian army, defence companies, ministers
Von der Leyen said in a statement: “This includes the Russian armed forces, as well as individual officers and defence industrial companies, members of the State Duma and Federation Council, ministers, governors and political parties, among others.”
She added: “This list covers key figures in Russia's brutal and deliberate missile strikes against civilians, in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children to Russia, and in the theft of Ukrainian agricultural products.”
Banks, chemicals, drones
The proposed ninth package also features sanctions against three more Russian banks and a full transaction ban on the Russian Regional Development Bank, in addition to new export controls and restrictions, especially for dual-use goods such as key chemicals, nerve agents, electronics and IT components, von der Leyen announced.
New sanctions will also cut Russia's access to drones, including through a ban on the direct exports of drone engines to Russia and “the export to any third countries, such as Iran, which could supply drones to Russia,” she said.
Moreover, four additional channels will be taken off the air and all other distribution platforms to undermine Russian propaganda; and further economic measures have been proposed against Russia’s energy and mining sectors, including a ban on new mining investments in Russia, reporters were told.
The EU’s member states are expected to adopt the ninth sanctions package before the end of the week, the IAR news agency reported.
The announcement comes after the bloc on Monday implemented a full ban on Russian seaborne oil, while the EU, G7 nations and Australia introduced a global price cap of USD 60 per barrel on Russian oil, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
EU must sanction Russia's missile production: Ukrainian FM
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet: “The next EU sanctions package proposed by the European Commission includes some important elements that Ukraine has long emphasized, including sanctions against more Russian banks and taking more Russian propaganda channels off air.”
He added: “Today, I have also sent a letter to [EU foreign policy chief] Josep Borrell proposing to impose stiff sanctions on Russia’s missile production and anything used to launch deadly missiles at Ukraine. Russia must be fully deprived of any ability to strike Ukraine’s critical civilian infrastructure.”
Thursday is day 288 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
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Source: IAR, PAP, Reuters, ec.europa.eu