EU finalises 21st sanctions package as Ukraine-Russia deep strikes kill eight
The European Union has agreed to its 21st round of measures against Moscow, while Russian and Ukrainian forces exchange attacks deep behind front lines, resulting in at least eight fatalities.
The European Union has agreed to its 21st sanctions package against Russia, imposing new curbs on the banking sector and targeting the so-called shadow fleet. The agreement, confirmed by EU diplomats on Thursday, also includes a one-year exemption for Greece regarding restrictions on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) transfers, a compromise secured to address Athens' concerns over market share.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas announced that the latest measures target 218 individuals and entities. The package imposes restrictions on more than 100 banks and cryptocurrency operators, at least 40 vessels associated with the shadow fleet, and over 50 military-industrial entities involved in producing long-range drones. The sanctions also maintain the Russian oil price cap at US$44.10 a barrel for a further 12 months.
The exemption for Greece allows EU companies to transfer Russian LNG to third countries with automatic renewal. This provision addresses fears from Athens that a blanket ban on transfer services would shift market share outside Europe without affecting Russian revenues. Greece dominates the European LNG carrier market and competes globally with Japan, China, and the United States. EU imports of Russian LNG remain banned from 1 January, but the transfer services exemption provides a specific carve-out for the country.
Concurrent with the diplomatic developments, Russian and Ukrainian forces have exchanged deep-strike attacks resulting in at least eight fatalities. Civilian casualties have reached their highest level since 2022, even as fighting on the front lines remains largely at a standstill in the war's fifth year. Ukrainian strikes killed four people, including a three-year-old boy in Voronezh and one man in Belgorod, while two others were killed in Crimea.
In Ukraine, a Russian attack on a food business in Pavlohrad killed three people and injured at least 10. A separate mortar attack in the Sumy region killed a 57-year-old man. On the frontline, the Russian Ministry of Defence claimed the capture of Bilytske, north of Pokrovsk. Ukraine’s General Staff reported repelling 42 Russian assaults near 19 settlements, including Bilytske, though Ukrainian authorities have not commented on the specific claim of losing the village.
