Newsletter of the main news 13.07/19.07

1️⃣ Frozen Russian Assets

A Moscow court upheld its ruling ordering Euroclear to pay approximately €200 billion in damages in a lawsuit brought by the Central Bank of Russia. The claim covers frozen sovereign assets, blocked securities, and alleged lost profits claimed by the Russian side.

2️⃣ International Sanctions Policy

The EU imported a record 9.89 million tonnes of Russian LNG from the Yamal LNG project in the first half of 2026, up 18% year-on-year. Imports under long-term contracts will be banned from 1 January 2027.

The United Kingdom imposed sanctions on 24 individuals and entities involved in Russian cyber operations, espionage, and disinformation campaigns. Those sanctioned include GRU officers, a hacker network, the Rybar media project, and organisations linked to attacks on European critical infrastructure.

The EU imposed sanctions on VK and the developer of the Russian messaging platform MAX over their cooperation with Russian security services. The sanctions package also targets representatives of the GRU, FSB, and several Russian IT companies.

The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) fully lifted restrictions on Russian athletes following the IOC’s revised recommendations. Beginning 28 July, they will be eligible to compete in all international and team events under the federation’s jurisdiction.

FIBA maintained the suspension of Russian and Belarusian national teams from most international competitions. However, it allowed U21 3x3 basketball teams to compete in the Nations League events in China and Malaysia.

The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM) lifted all remaining restrictions on Russian and Belarusian athletes, allowing them to compete under their national flags once again. The new rules will take effect at the European Championships in August.

The EU imposed sanctions on 15 individuals and entities responsible for the torture of Ukrainian prisoners of war and civilians. The listings include prison officials, FSB officers, and detention facilities where, according to the EU, torture and other forms of ill-treatment were systematically carried out.

The EU also sanctioned nine Russian nationals and four companies involved in cyberattacks, malware operations, and attacks on critical infrastructure. The measures were adopted simultaneously with the United Kingdom for the first time as part of coordinated sanctions policy.

Bulgaria’s Prime Minister argued that previous EU sanctions against Russia had failed to achieve their objectives and should not come at the expense of EU member states. He also confirmed that Sofia had been prepared to block the 21st sanctions package unless certain individuals were removed from the list.

Nine EU member states called for suspending EU funding for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and several international sports federations after they allowed Russian and Belarusian athletes to return to competition. The proposal would exclude these organisations from EU funding programmes.

The U.S. Senate introduced an updated Russia sanctions bill targeting the shadow fleet, Russia’s financial sector, and major energy projects. The legislation has already been coordinated with the White House, enjoys broad bipartisan support, and is expected to be adopted before August.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) lifted all restrictions on Russia and Belarus, allowing their national teams to compete under their own flags and anthems. It became the second team sport, after volleyball, to remove sanctions following the IOC’s decision to reinstate the Russian Olympic Committee.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić refused for the second time to sign the South-East Europe – Ukraine Summitdeclaration, which calls for stronger sanctions against Russia. Explaining his decision, he stated: “I was the only one who did not sign this declaration.”

Google Play removed applications developed by the Russian technology group VK, including VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, and Mail.ru. The move followed the EU’s July sanctions against VK and the MAX messenger over their cooperation with the Russian authorities.

The EU imposed sanctions on one individual and five Russian companies manufacturing electronic components for Shahed and Geran drones used in attacks against Ukraine. For the first time, the sanctions were explicitly imposed in response to Russia’s strikes on Kyiv.

Negotiations on the EU’s next sanctions package have become increasingly difficult due to objections from several member states. Greece, Germany, Portugal, France, Italy, and Austria are seeking exemptions or softer restrictions to protect their national economic interests, delaying unanimous approval.

3️⃣ Sanctions Violations and Evasion

Despite Ukrainian sanctions, the vessel NOVAYA ZEMLYA continues transporting stolen Ukrainian grain from occupied Feodosia to third countries. According to the SeaKrime project, its latest destination is Northern Cyprus.

Lithuanian companies supplied Starlink terminals and drone components to Russia by disguising sanctioned goods as shipments destined for Central Asia. Investigators found that part of the cargo entered Russia via Latvia using falsified customs documents.

Ukraine’s military intelligence (HUR) uncovered a new sanctions evasion scheme in which Russian petroleum products are refined through the Indian company Nayara Energy and then exported via the shadow fleet. Ship-to-ship transfers at sea and the deliberate deactivation of AIS tracking systems were used to conceal the cargo’s origin.

New examinations of Russia’s Iskander-M and Oreshnik missiles revealed recently manufactured components from the United States, Taiwan, Switzerland, Japan, China, Russia, and Belarus. According to Ukraine’s Presidential Commissioner for Sanctions Policy, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, the findings demonstrate that critical technologies continue to reach Russia’s military-industrial complex despite existing sanctions.

4️⃣ Ukraine’s Sanctions Policy

Ukraine’s Parliament expanded sectoral sanctions against Russia’s financial sector, extending them to all financial institutions of the aggressor state for 50 years. The new measures also cover transactions involving Russian digital financial assets and virtual assets.

Ukraine introduced additional sectoral sanctions aimed at closing cryptocurrency-related loopholes used by Russia to circumvent financial restrictions. The measures target digital asset operators and crypto service providers while banning transactions involving virtual assets backed by the Russian rouble.