Key facts
- EU foreign ministers unanimously approved 77 new sanctions listings on October 12.
- The sanctions target individuals involved in Russia's September election in occupied Ukrainian territories.
- Most election organizers and 24 candidates were already subject to EU sanctions.
- Ukraine previously sanctioned over 40 people involved in those elections.
- The EU also passed nearly 1,600 sanctions targeting Russia's military-industrial complex on October 12.
The European Union has imposed new sanctions on individuals involved in Russia's recent election held in illegally occupied Ukrainian territories. EU foreign ministers unanimously approved 77 new sanctions listings on October 12, targeting people who ran in or helped organize the September sham election.
Of the sanctioned individuals, 74 were candidates in the election, and three were members of Russia's electoral commission. Many of these individuals, including most election organizers and 24 candidates, were already under EU sanctions. Ukraine had previously sanctioned over 40 people connected to these elections on September 26.
The September State Duma elections were the first for Russia's lower house of parliament to take place in occupied Ukrainian territories. This followed Russia's mass issuance of Russian passports to residents in these areas. Russia has previously organized votes in the occupied territories, including referendums in 2022 and regional elections in 2023, with President Vladimir Putin declared the winner of presidential elections there in 2024.
In addition to the sanctions on election participants, the EU also passed nearly 1,600 sanctions listings on October 12 targeting Russia's military-industrial complex.