On Tuesday 31 July, the EU published its decision in the Official Journal of the EU to take out sanctions on six entities due to their participation in the construction of Kerch Bridge, connecting Russia to the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula.
On 15 May, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service had criticised the partial opening of this 19km bridge (see EUROPE 12021).
The entities sanctioned are the AO ‘Institute Giprostroymost - Saint-Petersburg’, responsible for the design of the bridge, Stroygazmontazh Corporation (SGM Group), which obtained a public contract for the construction of the bridge, and its subsidiary Stroygazmontazh Most OOO, and PJSC Mostotrest, due to its public contract for the maintenance of this bridge.
JSC Zaliv Shipyard, which "participated actively" in the construction of the new railway line to Kerch Bridge, and CJSC VAD, the main contractor for the construction of the Tavrida motorway in Crimea, the road over the bridge and access roads to it, are also subject to sanctions.
The sanctions comprise an assets freeze in the EU, meaning that all of the assets in the EU belonging to these entities are frozen and EU persons and entities cannot make any funds available to them.
According to the Council, through their actions these companies supported the consolidation of Russia's control over the illegally annexed Crimean peninsula, which in turn further undermines the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine.
While Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko said on Facebook that he welcomed the European measures, the spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, told the Russian news agency TASS that these sanctions were "a subversive policy aimed against Crimea’s citizens", encouraging "those behind Crimea’s energy blockade" and pursuing "those who build civilian infrastructure facilities".
This EU decision, adopted by written procedure on 30 July, brings the total number of entities listed by the EU to 44 for their actions compromising the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. In addition, the EU also imposed a travel ban and an asset freeze on 155 individuals under this sanctions regime. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)