Ukraine’s territorial integrity: EU sanctions five persons involved in the Russian State Duma elections of September 2021 in illegally-annexed Crimea

The Council adopted today restrictive measures, within the existing sanctions framework, on five more individuals for actively supporting actions and implementing policies that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

The persons designated today are members of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, who were elected to represent the illegally-annexed Crimean peninsula and the City of Sevastopol on 19 September 2021, as well as the head and deputy head of the Sevastopol electoral commission.

The European Union does not recognise the illegal annexation of Crimea and of the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and continues to condemn the Russian violation of international law. Moreover, the EU remains unwavering in its support for the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.

EU restrictive measures regarding the territorial integrity of Ukraine now apply to a total of 193 persons and 48 entities. Those designated persons and entities are subject to an asset freeze – including a prohibition on making funds available to them – and, additionally, those persons are subject to a travel ban, which prevents them from entering or transiting through the EU.

The relevant legal acts, including the names of the persons concerned, will be published in the Official Journal.

Background

Restrictive measures regarding actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine were first introduced on 17 March 2014. Since then, they have been regularly extended. The last extension covers the period until 15 March 2022.

Other EU measures implemented in response to the crisis in Ukraine include economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until 31 July 2022 and restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol and currently in place until 23 June 2022.

These designations are not linked to the current security situation.

• Official Journal of the EU, 21 February 2022 (including a list of the sanctioned individuals and entities)
• Council Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 of 17 March 2014 concerning restrictive measures in respect of actions undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine (consolidated text)
• Ukraine: EU sanctions over territorial integrity prolonged for a further six months (press release, 10 September 2021)
• Timeline – EU restrictive measures in response to the crisis in Ukraine