The EU has adopted its 18th package of sanctions against Russia, including certain measures targeting Belarus. The key areas targeted this time revolve around energy, banking, military, and cross-sectoral measures.
Below, we highlight the main additions forming the latest EU restrictive measures targeting Russian interests as adopted on 18 July 2025 and entering into force on 19 and 20 July 2025.
Energy
- Notably, a transaction ban related to Nord Stream 1 and 2 has been adopted, including regarding supply of goods and services pertaining to the same. This measure effectively blocks the completion, maintenance, operation, and any future use of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines.
- The price cap for crude oil is reduced from USD 60 to USD 47.6 per barrel to reflect current market conditions and restore the cap's intended impact on Russian oil revenues. Further, the EU has introduced an automatic and dynamic mechanism to modify the oil price cap.
- A new ban on the import of refined petroleum products based on Russian crude oil coming from any third country has been introduced, aiming to close "backdoor routes" for Russian oil to enter EU markets (with certain exceptions).
- 105 new vessels have been added to the list of shadow fleet ships which now includes over 400 ships suspected of facilitating sanctions circumvention in the maritime oil trade.
- Full sanctions on Russian and foreign operators of shadow fleet vessels, oil traders, and an Indian refinery linked to Rosneft. For the first time, a vessel captain and a flag registry operator are also sanctioned.
Banking
- The existing prohibition on providing specialised financial messaging services to certain Russian banks is being upgraded to a full transaction ban. This extended measure will apply to an additional 22 Russian banks.
- Sanctions on foreign banks and crypto service providers, including those connected to Russia's SPFS payment system. The transaction ban is also expanded to cover actors suspected of circumventing sanctions, including oil-related sanctions.
- A ban has been imposed on all transactions with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), its sub-funds, and affiliated companies. This measure further restricts Russia's access to global financial markets and foreign currency.
- A new ban on selling, supplying, transferring, and exporting software management systems and software with certain uses in the banking and financial sector has been introduced.
Military
- Further comprehensive sanctions are imposed on suppliers to Russia's military-industrial complex, including providers of battlefield-relevant goods. The aim is to tighten restrictions on Russia's access to critical goods and technologies.
- Tighter export restrictions will apply to 26 additional entities involved in the supply of dual-use goods and technologies that could support the advancement of Russia's defence and security capabilities, with 11 entities being located in third countries other than Russia.
- New export bans worth over €2.5 billion have been introduced, targeting items that support Russia's military development, including CNC machines and chemicals for propellants. The existing transit ban through Russia is also extended to include key construction and transport-related goods.
Belarus
The EU has further tightened sanctions against Belarus, further aligning them with those targeting Russia. This includes a comprehensive ban on financial transactions and a new type of arms import embargo.
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Our legal experts are closely monitoring developments in sanctions and are available to assist with any questions you may have.
The new main EU sanctions package can be accessed here in multiple language versions. Please note that the various measures described in this insight have been adopted with reference to multiple different regulations, see here.
The press release regarding the EU sanctions package can be accessed here.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
