EU sanctions 77 individuals over illegal Russian State Duma ‘elections’ in temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine
European Union foreign ministers decided on October 12 to adopt restrictive measures against 77 individuals who were involved in the illegal so-called “elections” for the Russian State Duma, held in September 2026 in the territories of Ukraine that Russia has temporarily and illegally occupied, a statement by the Council of the EU said.
The EU has unequivocally condemned the organisation of these so-called “elections” in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, which breaches Ukrainian and international law, including the UN Charter, and undermines Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, the statement said.
The listings agreed today include 74 candidates who stood for election for various parties in the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic”, the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic”, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the so-called “Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol”.
By running in the Russian State Duma “elections” these individuals have actively contributed to efforts to legitimise Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to sustaining Russia’s illegal occupation of territories of Ukraine, the statement said.
For the same reasons, EU foreign ministers have imposed restrictive measures on three members of the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation for organising the sham elections.
Those listed today are subject to a travel ban that prohibits them from entering or transiting through EU territories, and to an asset freeze, the statement said. Additionally, EU citizens and companies are forbidden from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them.
In September, the EU foreign ministers adopted restrictive measures against 10 individuals for supporting the repression of democratic opposition and seriously undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia.
The relevant legal acts have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, the Council of the EU said.
(Photo: EC Audiovisual Service)
