---
title: "EU Prepares Autumn Sanctions Package Against Russia: Around 1,600 Individuals and Companies May Be Targeted"
description: "The European Union is preparing an autumn sanctions package against Russia, which could include around 1,600 individuals and legal entities. The issue will be discussed at the foreign ministers' meeting on September 1–2 in Ireland, with adoption expected in mid-October."
date: 2026-08-29T18:58:06.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/eu-prepares-autumn-sanctions-package-against-russia-1600-individuals-and-companies
tags: [eu-sanctions, russia, nato, frozen-assets, kaja-kallas]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# EU Prepares Autumn Sanctions Package Against Russia: Around 1,600 Individuals and Companies May Be Targeted

![Barbed wire in the foreground and a blurred Russian flag against a blue sky — a symbol of the EU's upcoming autumn sanctions package against Russia](https://xab.info/media/2026/08/29/es-gotovit-osenney-paket-sanktsiy-protiv-rf-1600-lic-i-kompaniy/es-gotovit-osenney-paket-sanktsiy-protiv-rf-1600-lic-i-kompaniy-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The EU is preparing a new sanctions package against Russia covering around 1,600 individuals and legal entities
- The issue will be discussed at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on September 1–2 in Ireland, with adoption expected in mid-October
- The use of frozen Russian assets is being discussed again; Belgium's position remains the key obstacle
- There is a discrepancy in the sources: 1,600 candidates in total (800+800) versus more than 1,600 companies according to Bloomberg

The European Union is preparing one of the largest sanctions packages against Russia since the start of the full-scale war. According to Politico, citing three EU diplomats, the new list of restrictions could include around 1,600 individuals and legal entities. The issue is scheduled for discussion at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on September 1–2 in Ireland, with the package expected to be adopted in mid-October.

### Context: Pressure Amid NATO Incidents

The decision to expand the restrictions is being made against the backdrop of a series of incidents in NATO countries — from drone attacks to arson threats. It is this escalation, according to European diplomats, that is pushing Brussels to deploy "all possible sanctions regimes" and not limit itself to the existing tools.

### Parameters of the New Package

According to one of Politico's sources, around 1,600 "candidates" are currently under consideration — roughly 800 individuals and 800 legal entities. Another diplomat emphasized that this represents a significant expansion of the already existing restrictions. "The strategy is to use all possible means. We will deploy all possible sanctions regimes," he stated. All three of the publication's sources spoke specifically of a substantial intensification of sanctions pressure.

### Frozen Assets and the Role of Belgium

The question of using frozen Russian assets is being discussed separately. According to a diplomat, this is a long-term process that first and foremost requires convincing Belgium, which has long resisted the idea. Thus, even with political agreement on the Brussels side, the practical implementation of this instrument remains dependent on the position of one key state.

### Contradictory Data

There is a discrepancy in the figures here that is important to note. The basis of the Politico report is the version of 1,600 candidates in total: 800 individuals plus 800 legal entities. At the same time, Bloomberg previously reported that more than 1,600 companies could be subject to restrictions, i.e., legal entities only, that are helping Russia in its war against Ukraine. The difference in the composition of the list — 1,600 in total or 1,600+ companies — has not been resolved by either source, and the exact structure of the package is yet to be clarified at the meeting in Ireland.

### Timeline and Deadlines

Recall that a couple of weeks ago, the head of EU diplomacy Kaja Kallas stated the intention to significantly expand sanctions in the coming months and to put forward the largest package since the start of the war in the autumn. Thus, the September 1–2 meeting in Ireland will become the key point of coordination, while the final vote on the package is expected in mid-October.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [EU's New Sanctions Package Against Russia Could Include 1,600 Individuals and Companies, - Politico](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/novogo-paketu-sanktsiy-es-proti-rf-mozhut-1788028504.html) - Пересказ сообщения Politico: ~1600 кандидатов (800 физ. и 800 юр. лиц), встреча глав МИД 1–2 сентября в Ирландии, принятие в середине октября, цитата дипломата о «всех возможных санкционных режимах».
- [EU Plans Sanctions Against More Than 1,600 Companies Supporting the War - Media](https://korrespondent.net/world/4898010-es-planyruet-sanktsyy-protyv-bolee-1600-kompanyi-sposobstvuuischykh-voine-smy) - Подтверждает подготовку пакета против более 1600 сущностей; формулировка «более 1600 компаний» расходится с версией Politico о суммарных 1600 (800+800).
- [Bloomberg: EU Intends to Impose Sanctions on 1,600 Companies for Aiding Russia](https://vm.ru/news/1345970-bloomberg-es-nameren-vvesti-sankcii-protiv-1600-kompanij-za-sodejstvie-rossii) - Версия Bloomberg: под ограничения более 1600 компаний, помогающих России. Использована в разделе «Противоречивые данные» как альтернативная оценка состава списка.
- [EU Plans to Impose Sanctions on More Than 1,600 Companies Linked to Russia](https://gazeta.ua/ru/articles/world-life/_es-planiruet-vvesti-sankcii-protiv-bolee-1600-kompanij-svyazannyh-s-rossiej/1255488) - Дополнительное подтверждение факта подготовки масштабного пакета против более 1600 связанных с Россией сущностей.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: How many individuals and companies could be subject to the new EU sanctions package?
**A:** According to Politico, around 1,600 candidates are under consideration — roughly 800 individuals and 800 legal entities. At the same time, Bloomberg previously reported on more than 1,600 companies, so the exact structure of the list remains subject to clarification.

### Q: When will the new sanctions package be discussed and adopted?
**A:** The issue is planned to be discussed at the informal meeting of EU foreign ministers on September 1–2 in Ireland, with the adoption of the package expected in mid-October.

### Q: Will the EU use frozen Russian assets?
**A:** The question is being discussed again, but this is a long-term process that first and foremost requires convincing Belgium, which has long resisted the idea.