EU sanctions 1,569 Russian companies and their executives

The European Council has imposed sanctions on 1,569 Russian companies and their executives linked to Russia's military-industrial complex, Report's European bureau informs, citing a statement.

The agreed listings include 826 Russian companies and 743 individuals serving as CEOs of these companies.

This is the single largest set of listings ever agreed by the EU and brings the total number of listings under the sanctions regime supporting Ukraine"s territorial integrity to close to 4600.

According to the Council, the listed companies are suppliers of key components to some of Russia"s most advanced weapons systems, including missiles, UAVs and aircraft. Such key components include: electronics, including semiconductors, microcircuits and computers; communication equipment including radars, antennas and transceivers; aviation, satellite and missile systems; explosives and ammunition and optics and navigation systems.

The companies have a combined annual turnover of at least 20 billion euros and employ more than 250,000 people.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said that more than half of the newly added sanctions listings were linked to the production chain for ballistic missiles that Russia uses to strike civilians in Ukraine.

The sanctions impose asset freezes on the listed individuals and companies. EU citizens and organizations are prohibited from directly or indirectly providing them with funds or economic resources. The individuals are also subject to travel bans preventing them from entering the European Union.

Following the adoption of the new package, the total number of individuals and entities subject to EU sanctions under the regime related to violations of Ukraine's territorial integrity has approached 4,600.

The decision follows the European Council's call to increase pressure on Russia in response to its ongoing military actions against Ukraine and attacks on civilian infrastructure.