The EU approves its largest expansion of sanctions against Russia with the inclusion of 1,600 people and entities

On a Monday in Luxembourg, European Union foreign ministers approved a series of sweeping sanction measures targeting Russia and its allies. The decisions mark the EU's largest expansion of sanctions against Russia to date, incorporating 1,569 individuals and entities linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, which comprises 826 companies and 743 directors.

In tandem with the primary measures against Moscow, the EU penalized an additional 77 individuals for their involvement in what the bloc termed "illegal" elections to the Russian Duma held in September within Ukrainian territory. Furthermore, the bloc extended its punitive measures internationally by adding three individuals and four North Korean entities to its sanctions list due to their participation in North Korea's nuclear programs and their growing support for Russia.