EU 21st Sanctions Package: Increased Focus on Maritime Circumvention and Russian Energy
On 23 July 2026, the European Union adopted its 21st package of sanctions against Russia, introducing further measures across key sectors of the Russian economy and designating an additional 218 individuals and entities.
The package also extends the EU’s focus on sanctions circumvention and maritime activity, with 41 additional vessels listed for their involvement in activities including the evasion of the oil price cap, support for Russia’s energy sector, the transportation of military equipment and the movement of unlawfully appropriated Ukrainian grain.
For firms with exposure to maritime trade, energy, commodities, insurance and cross-border transactions, the measures reinforce the importance of robust sanctions screening, vessel due diligence, ownership and control analysis, and effective assessment of circumvention and transactional risk.