On the sad commemoration of one year since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the European Council adopted a tenth package of additional restrictive measures giving another turn of the screw to the government of the Russian Federation and those responsible for Russia’s continuing war of aggression.

The latest package extends sanctions to around 120 new individuals and entities, as well as adding further trade and financial sanctions, including further export bans worth more than €11 billion, depriving the Russian economy of critical tech and industrial goods. It also steps up enforcement and anti-circumvention measures, including a new reporting obligation on Russian Central Bank assets.

In order to address the Russian Federation's systematic, international campaign of disinformation and information manipulation intended to destabilize its neighboring countries, the EU and its member states, the Council initiated the process for suspending the broadcasting licenses of two additional media outlets: RT Arabic and Sputnik Arabic. These outlets are under the permanent direct or indirect control of the leadership of the Russian Federation and have been used by latter for its continuous and concerted disinformation and war propaganda actions, which legitimize Russia’s aggression and undermine support for Ukraine. In line with the Charter of Fundamental Rights, these measures will not prevent those media outlets and their staff from carrying out activities in the EU other than broadcasting, e.g. research and interviews.