The EU's 20th sanctions package targets banks, cryptocurrencies, and companies from third countries
As part of its 20th sanctions package, the European Union has imposed new restrictions on the Russian financial sector, cryptocurrency transactions, and third-country companies that assist in circumventing sanctions.
This is stated in the EU decision.
Effective May 14, 2026, a ban on transactions with a number of Russian banks will be introduced, including:
- Wildberries Bank
- Derzhava
- BKS Bank
- Livoberezhny
- Metallinvestbank
- Solidarity
- Russian Standard
- Blank Bank
- Iturup
- Eurofinance Mosnarbank
- Fora Bank
- UBIR
- Chelyabinvestbank
- PSKB
- SDM Bank
- Avers
- Khlinov
- Post Bank
- Avangard
- Yenisei United Bank
The EU has also introduced new rules regarding digital assets, including a ban on transactions with crypto exchanges and exchanges linked to Russia, a complete ban on transactions involving RUBx and the digital ruble, and restrictions on Russian crypto platforms that facilitate the transfer and exchange of cryptocurrencies.
Separately, the TengriCoin crypto asset from Kyrgyzstan was also sanctioned.
The list also includes four banks from other countries that, according to the EU, helped circumvent sanctions or were linked to Russian financial infrastructure:
- Keremet Bank (Kyrgyzstan)
- Capital Bank (Kyrgyzstan)
- JDB Bank (Laos)
- Yelo Bank (Azerbaijan)
The sanctions also target 16 companies from China, the UAE, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Belarus, which, according to EU assessments, facilitated the circumvention of restrictions or cooperated with the Russian defense-industrial sector.
On April 23, EU member states approved the 20th package of sanctions against Russia, which imposes restrictions on 46 vessels of the “shadow fleet” and 60 entities supporting the Russian military-industrial complex. The new measures include stricter export restrictions on dual-use goods and sanctions against 20 credit and financial institutions.
The European Union unanimously approved a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and imposed the 20th package of sanctions against Russia due to its armed aggression. Disbursement of the loan will begin shortly to meet the Ukrainian state’s most urgent budgetary needs.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna announced the start of work on the next package of EU sanctions against Russia immediately after the approval of the 20th sanctions list. The Estonian side insists on completely cutting off the sources of funding for the aggression by imposing a ban on maritime oil transport services.
