European Union ambassadors have approved a targeted sanctions package focusing on two main areas: enforcing the oil price cap through the crackdown on the “shadow fleet” and punishing foreign individuals spreading pro-Kremlin disinformation.
To prevent Russia from trading oil below the current G7 price cap ($47.60/barrel), the EU is targeting individuals, which are:
Talat Safarov (Azerbaijani): CEO of UAE-based Rivers Group, accused of concealing the origin of Russian oil (specifically from Rosneft).
Murtaza Ali Lakhani (Pakistani): Accused of controlling vessels that use irregular practices (switching off trackers) to transport Russian crude.
Four companies based in the UAE, Vietnam, and Russia involved in managing tankers. 43 specific boats are being added to the blacklist (bringing the total to over 500), barring them from entering EU ports or receiving services.
The EU is targeting individuals accused of “destabilizing activities” and manipulating public discourse in the West:
Western Nationals:
John Mark Dougan: A dual US-Russian citizen and former Florida deputy sheriff accused of digital info operations to influence elections.
Jacques Baud: A former Swiss Army colonel accused of spreading conspiracy theories (e.g., that Ukraine orchestrated its own invasion).
Xavier Moreau: A former French military officer cited for similar pro-Russian propaganda.
Russian Analysts: Several foreign policy analysts linked to the Valdai discussion club (Dmitry Suslov, Fyodor Lukyanov, Andrei Sushentsov).
The list includes officials from Russia’s Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) responsible for recent cyberattacks against Ukraine and EU member states.
