EU approves 17th sanctions package targeting Russia’s shadow fleet, defense sector, media

The European Union has moved closer to implementing a new, 17th package of sanctions against Russia, targeting Moscow’s so-called shadow fleet, defense industry, and entities evading existing restrictions. The decision was made by the permanent representatives of EU member states in Brussels on Wednesday, according to diplomatic sources cited by Agence France-Presse and Ukraine’s Evropeiska Pravda.

The proposed sanctions will focus on approximately 200 vessels associated with Russia’s shadow fleet, including oil tankers, as well as around 30 companies identified for circumventing existing measures. Additionally, the sanctions list is expected to include 75 individuals and legal entities linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex.

The sanctions package is set for final approval by EU foreign ministers on May 20. This marks the latest in a series of punitive measures that the EU has imposed on Russia, beginning in 2014 following the annexation of Crimea, and significantly expanded after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

The EU adopted its previous, 16th package of sanctions on February 24, 2025, marking the third anniversary of the ongoing conflict.