The European Union has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining sanctions against Russia as the war in Ukraine continues, while fresh Russian attacks across several Ukrainian regions have killed at least five people.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said sanctions remain a central part of the bloc’s response to Russia’s invasion and stressed the need for stability by extending existing measures. She also indicated that the EU was working on another sanctions package targeting Russia.
EU governments were still negotiating changes to the sanctions list, with disagreements over proposals to remove Russian businessmen Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the bloc’s blacklist. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha criticised the proposal, saying it would send the wrong signal to Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks struck areas including Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Mykolaiv. Ukrainian officials reported deaths and injuries, including the death of a three-year-old child in Mykolaiv. The reported battlefield and civilian casualties could not be independently verified.
The escalation comes as UN investigators warn that continued attacks on energy infrastructure could worsen conditions for Ukrainian civilians as winter approaches.
Leave a comment