UKRAINE, Dec 16 – The EU has approved the 15th package of sanctions to counter Russian aggression against Ukraine. It includes high-ranking officials of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, companies from Russia’s “shadow fleet,” and Chinese suppliers to Russia, the press service of the EU Council reported.

The sanctions list includes 54 individuals and 30 organizations responsible for actions that threaten “Ukraine’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence.”

The EU imposed sanctions against those responsible for the deportation of children, Russian propaganda, and the military unit responsible for the shelling of the Okhmatdyt children’s hospital in Kyiv.  

The sanctions list also includes senior managers of leading companies in the Russian energy sector and two senior DPRK officials.

In addition, the new sanctions are to affect Russian defense and shipping companies responsible for transporting oil products by sea, which provides revenue for the Russian government. A chemical plant and a civilian Russian airline that provides vital logistical support to the Russian military are also on the list.

At the same time, for the first time, the EU imposed “full-fledged sanctions” [entry ban, asset freeze, ban on access to economic resources — ed.] against Chinese companies that supply components for drones and other weapons that Russia later uses to strike Ukraine.

Read more

  • On December 11 at 4:45 p.m., the Russian MLRS attack on the village of Kutkivka, Kupiansk district, destroyed the building of an educational institution, reported Oleh Syniehubov, governor of Kharkiv Oblast.