BRUSSELS — The European Union agreed Saturday to impose new sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine focusing on extra officers and organizations accused of supporting the battle, spreading propaganda or supplying drones, in addition to limiting commerce on merchandise that might be utilized by the armed forces.

The EU’s Swedish presidency stated the sanctions “are directed at army and political decision-makers, corporations supporting or working throughout the Russian army trade, and commanders within the Wagner Group. Transactions with a few of Russia’s largest banks are additionally prohibited.”

Asset freezes have been slapped on three extra Russian banks and 7 Iranian “entities” — corporations, businesses, political events or different organizations — that manufacture army drones, which the EU suspects have been utilized by Russia throughout the battle.

The brand new measures, proposed by the EU’s government department three weeks in the past, have been solely adopted after a lot inner wrangling over their actual make-up, and made public sooner or later after the primary anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine — the meant goal date.

The delay, which was minor however symbolically vital, is but extra proof of how tough it has change into for the 27-nation bloc to determine new targets for restrictive measures which can be acceptable to all member nations.

The sanctions are supposed to undermine Russia’s economic system and drain funds for its battle effort, however they’re additionally more and more inflicting ache on European economies already hit by excessive inflation and vitality costs and nonetheless affected by the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Earlier than this newest spherical of measures, the EU had already focused virtually 1,400 Russian officers, together with President Vladimir Putin, authorities ministers, lawmakers and oligarchs believed loyal to the Kremlin, but in addition officers believed accountable for battle crimes or focusing on civilian infrastructure.

The bloc had additionally frozen the belongings of greater than 170 organizations, starting from political events and paramilitary teams to banks, non-public corporations and media retailers accused of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Russia’s vitality sector was hit, too — notably oil and coal — and the bloc, by its personal measures and political choices mixed with retaliation from Moscow, was quickly weaned off its dependence on Russian pure gasoline.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the brand new package deal in his nightly tackle on Saturday.

“Sanctions will proceed to be launched in order that nothing stays of the potential of Russian aggression,” he stated.

“There are new sanctions steps within the tenth package deal, highly effective ones, towards the protection trade and the monetary sector of the terrorist state and towards the propagandists who drowned Russian society in lies and are attempting to unfold their lies onto the entire world,” Zelenskyy stated.