The European Union sanctions against Russia will ban exports of "critical" industrial goods, target propagandists and, for the first time ever, blacklist entities linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps for aiding the Kremlin to wage war on Ukraine.
"Putin is not only waging a brutal war on the battlefield but he is also viciously targeting civilians and the aggressor has to pay for this," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said while announcing the proposal on Wednesday morning.
The banned products will include electronics, specialised vehicles, spare parts for trucks and jet engines, as well as construction tools, such as antennas and cranes, that might be redirected to the war, von der Leyen explained.
“The package includes sanctions against the IRGC Aerospace Force, which the bloc says is involved in the delivery of drones to Russia and the training of Russian operators, and the IRGC Research and Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization, which the official said is involved in the development of drones,” a senior EU official told Axios.
The bloc believes Russia will struggle to replace these essential Western-made products.
The package will now have to be discussed and approved by member states through a unanimity vote.
The sanctions package will likely be rolled out within the next few days, ahead of the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.
Once adopted, the EU will have banned "all" tech products found on the battlefield, she noted.
