EU Targets Russian LNG, Crypto, & Banking In Sweeping 19th Sanctions Package

“We waited for this. God bless, it will work. And this is very important,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in Brussels, as EU countries announced the bloc’s latest round of large-scale anti-Moscow sanctions Thursday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had encouraged allies to “join in” as the US hit Russia’s two largest oil giants with sweeping sanctions on Wednesday, and the EU quickly did with its 19th package of sanctions. The EU’s newest action includes banning Russian liquefied natural gas imports for the bloc.

Zelensky has further hailed the “resolute and well-targeted decision,” calling the Trump-ordered sanctions a “clear signal that prolonging the war and spreading terror come at a cost.” He urged other global leaders to do the same as “it is a strong and much-needed message that aggression will not go unanswered.”

To translate all of this: Zelensky almost always gets what he wants in this slow but steady escalation ladder between Russia and the West. “This has been the constant pattern of the conflict from day one,” concludes Alex Christoforou of The Duran podcast.

What Zelensky demands from the US he always gets. It doesn’t matter if it is Biden, Trump or whoever follows Trump. This has been the constant pattern of the conflict from day one.
US-EU coordinated their sanctions packages. Next up, long range missiles. Tomahawks, Taurus…… pic.twitter.com/ElFiuEdUI8

— Alex Christoforou (@AXChristoforou) October 23, 2025

The fresh EU sanctions take aim at Russia’s energy, finance sectors, and the military industrial complex. Measures to strengthen control over the movement of Russian diplomats across the EU have also been put in place.

Russia’s recently established state-supported stablecoin and crypto exchanges have also been significantly targeted in the EU sanctions.

Already Brussels is promising more down the road, with Kaja Kallas, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and chair of the Foreign Affairs Council, issuing the following statement:

We have just adopted our 19th package of sanctions. It targets Russian energy, banks, crypto exchanges, and entities in China, among others. The EU is also regulating the movements of Russian diplomats to counter attempts at destabilisation. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Putin to finance his war. Every euro we deny Russia is one it cannot spend on war. The 19th package will not be the last.

Below is a look at what energy companies and exports are targeted, as well as banking sector and crypto, based on the European Council’s detailed press release. 

Energy

• Today’s package introduces a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the EU, starting January 2027 for long-term contracts, and within six months for short-term contracts, and tightens the existing transaction ban on two major Russian state-owned oil producers (Rosneft and Gazprom Neft). The EU is also listing a Tatarstani conglomerate active in the Russian oil sector. In parallel, the EU is taking measures against important third country operators enabling Russia’s revenue streams. This involves sanctioning Chinese entities – two refineries and an oil trader – that are significant buyers of Russian crude oil.

• Furthermore, the EU is imposing additional sanctions across the shadow fleet value chain. Specifically, the 19th package includes the listing of Litasco Middle East DMCC, Lukoil’s prominent shadow fleet enabler based in the United Arab Emirates. Other listings include maritime registries providing false flags to shadow fleet vessels, allowing their continued operation by creating a fraudulent impression of compliance with certification requirements. Today’s measures also target the largest port container operator in the Russian Far East, and a leading shipbuilder for Sovcomflot.

• An additional 117 vessels have been made subject to a port access ban and a ban on the provision of a broad range of services related to maritime transport, bringing the total number of designated vessels to 557. These measures target non-EU tankers that are part of the shadow fleet circumventing the oil price cap mechanism, which otherwise support Russia’s energy sector, or transport military equipment for Russia or stolen Ukrainian grain.

• The 19th package also introduces a ban on reinsuring vessels belonging to the shadow fleet, further constraining their ability to operate.

Financial measures

• Recent activity has evidenced Russia’s increasing use of crypto in circumventing sanctions. In this context, the stablecoin A7A5 – created with Russian state support – has emerged as a prominent tool for financing activities supporting the war of aggression. Therefore, today’s package introduces sanctions on the developer of A7A5, the Kyrgyz issuer of that coin, and the operator of a platform where significant volumes of A7A5 is traded. Transactions involving this stablecoin have also been prohibited across the EU.

• As of today, eight banks and oil traders from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE and Hong Kong that circumvent EU sanctions are subject to a transaction ban. Five additional Russian banks – Istina, Zemsky Bank, Commercial Bank Absolut Bank, MTS Bank, and Alfa-Bank – are targeted using the same measure. Four banks from Belarus and Kazakhstan are also put under a transaction ban, due to their connections to Russian financial messaging and payment systems.

• Additionally, the EU is prohibiting its operators from engaging with the Russian National Payment Card System (‘Mir’) or the Fast Payments System (‘SBP’). Significant restrictions are also imposed on maintaining economic relationships with entities active in nine Russian special economic zones. These zones are central to Russia’s industrial and technological capacity, hosting enterprises engaged in the production or development of goods contributing to the Russian war effort.

The full list can be accessed here.

The Kremlin’s initial reaction has been to say that EU sanctions against Russia are backfiring on Brussels, and the possibilities for their expansion “are largely exhausted” – according to TASS.

Brussels has “already tried almost all options” for trying to bring Russia to its knees, Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Thursday. She condemned futile EU efforts to inflict “a strategic defeat on Russia, damaging the Russian economy, and defense capabilities.” Further, she warned against targeting Russian assets which “will provoke a guaranteed, painful response.”