EU envoys approve new Russia sanctions listings, diplomats say

EU Approves Over 1,600 New Russia Sanctions Including Missile Producers

EU Expands Sanctions Targeting Russian Military and Political Sectors

By Julia Payne

Details of the New Sanctions

BRUSSELS, Oct 7 (Reuters) - European Union envoys approved on Wednesday 1,646 new designations under the bloc's sanctions regime for Russia, with the majority focused on the country's military industrial complex, three EU diplomats said. 

Focus on Missile Production and Supply Chains

More than half of the newly added entities and individuals are involved in the chain of production of Russia's ballistic missiles, such as the 9M723 Iskander-M, which ​can only be intercepted by US-made Patriot air defence systems.

Ukraine has virtually run out of these interceptors as the US military diverts resources to the Gulf, and Russia has seized on this vulnerability to ramp up ballistic missile strikes.

Entities Involved in Missile and Drone Manufacturing

The designations include a range of entities involved in missile testing and research as well as the production of solid fuels and rocket engines for Russia's Iskander system. The EU is also targeting producers of specialised textiles and synthetic and carbon fibres used across a range of different missile systems, one of the sources specified.

In addition, the list has drone manufacturers, shipyards that service submarines and 77 Russian politicians who ran for parliamentary seats in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

Implementation and Broader Impacts

The sanctions will be formally adopted when EU foreign ministers meet on Monday.

Russian Response and Diesel Export Ban

Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week Moscow would not resume diesel exports - currently banned until the end of October - to global markets until sanctions are lifted.

The global diesel market has tightened due to the Iran war, which, combined with the loss of Russian diesel after Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, triggered shortages in Russia.

Sanctions on North Korean Entities

The EU, concerned about strengthening links between Russia and North Korea, also added seven North Korean entities and individuals linked to Moscow's war effort. In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia struck Ukraine with North Korean missiles for the first time in nearly a year after an apparent stock replenishment.

(Reporting by Julia Payne, Writing by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by Inti Landauro and Gareth Jones)