The EU is readying its 15th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting foreign-made components found in Russian weaponry, the EU's chief diplomat, Josep Borrell, said in Kyiv on Nov. 9.
"We have to strengthen anti-sanctions circumvention measures because Russia cannot produce (weaponry) without imported parts, chips and other components," Borrell said at a news conference alongside Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha. "We should use sanctions to isolate Russia's industrial capabilities from imports from other countries."
The European bloc has already adopted 14 packages in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, aiming to undermine Moscow's economic output and the ability to sustain the war. The most recent package, which passed on June 20, agreed to the first ever sanctions placed on Russia's gas industry.
Borrell's comments come as President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to urge Western allies to apply more sanctions against the providers of components used predominantly in Russian drones.
Russia has increased its drone attacks on Ukrainian cities in recent months, with Zelensky reporting over 2,000 Russian Shahed-type drones launched at Ukraine in October.
According to Zelensky, the over 2,000 Shahed-type drones launched in October coincides with the "over 170,000 components that should have been blocked from reaching Russia," Zelensky said in his evening address on Nov. 2. "Microchips, microcontrollers, processors, and many other parts are essential for enabling this terror."
Russia continues to avoid sanctions through the use of sanctions evasion networks and shell companies. Russia is also aided in sanctions evasion through its allies, including China, Iran, and North Korea.
In recent months, China's particular support for Russia's defense industry has played a significant role in shifting the battlefield momentum in Ukraine in Moscow's favor.
Reuters reported on Sept. 25 citing European intelligence sources that Russia has secretly established a development and production program in China for attack drones to be used in the war in Ukraine
On Nov. 6, the chief of Australia's intelligence agency warned Beijing's "massive provision" of dual-use goods, as well as diplomatic and economic support, allow Russia to continue its war against Ukraine.
The announcement on the sanctions package comes as Borrell, during a visit to Kyiv on Nov. 9, seeks to reassure Ukraine of the EU's "unwavering" support amid uncertainty about the level of U.S. support under President-elect Donald Trump's leadership.
Dmytro Basmat
