The measures were approved during a Monday meeting of EU foreign ministers in Luxembourg and are designed to intensify pressure on Moscow.

Central to the sanctions are prohibitions targeting 116 individuals and entities directly implicated in undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

This includes a diverse range of political figures and economic groups believed to be supporting Russian military operations in Ukraine.

Among the new measures is an embargo on the transshipment of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) across EU territory. The move aims to curtail Moscow’s economic gains from LNG exports and reduce its strategic leverage in Europe’s energy market.

It encompasses both ship-to-ship transfers and transfers from ships to onshore facilities.

Furthermore, the EU has imposed stringent restrictions on financial transactions involving entities facilitating Russia’s defense industry.

The goal is to disrupt the flow of resources that sustain Russia’s military operations and technological advances.

The EU has also targeted specific vessels involved in transporting military equipment to Russia. These ships face entry bans into EU ports and restrictions on providing services within EU jurisdictions.

The EU has expanded its reach beyond Russian borders, imposing sanctions on 61 additional entities operating in countries such as China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Additionally, the EU has extended controls over exports critical to Russia’s industrial and defense sectors.

Moreover, the EU has tightened restrictions on Russian individuals and companies registering certain intellectual property rights within its borders.

This is intended to counter Russian government and judicial moves that unlawfully deprive EU rights holders of their intellectual property protections in Russia.

The EU has also moved to protect cultural heritage by prohibiting the purchase, import, transfer, or export of Ukrainian cultural goods and artifacts if there is reason to suspect they were unlawfully removed from Ukraine.