EU sanctions regime on Russia's destabilising activities (2024)

As of 1 October 2026. Information only, not legal advice – see the disclaimer.

The regime allows the Council to impose targeted restrictive measures – asset freezes, a prohibition on making funds available and, for natural persons, travel bans – on persons and entities responsible for, implementing, supporting or benefitting from actions or policies by the Government of the Russian Federation “which undermine or threaten democracy, the rule of law, stability or security in the Union or in one or several of its Member States, in an international organisation or in a third country”, or their sovereignty or independence, through actions listed in Art. 1(1)(a). Unlike the EU cyber sanctions regime, it expressly covers foreign information manipulation and interference. In May 2025 the Council amended the framework (Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/963 of 20 May 2025).

• Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643, Art. 1(1)(a)(iv) – listing criterion: “planning, directing, engaging in, directly or indirectly, supporting or otherwise facilitating the use of coordinated information manipulation and interference”.
• Art. 1(1)(a)(i) – obstruction or undermining of the democratic political process, “including by obstructing or undermining the holding of elections”.
• Art. 1(1)(a)(v) – actions targeted at the functioning of democratic institutions, economic activities or services of public interest, or aimed at interfering with, damaging or destroying critical infrastructure, “including through sabotage or malicious cyber activities as part of hybrid activities”.
• Further criteria – violent demonstrations and acts of violence, instrumentalisation of migrants, exploiting or instigating armed conflicts in third countries (Art. 1(1)(a)(ii), (iii), (vi)–(viii)). The wording quoted is that of the current version on EUR-Lex, including later amendments.

According to the Council, the extension of October 2025 was justified by “Russia's continued hybrid activities, including Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI)”; at that time the regime applied to 47 individuals and 15 entities. On 24 September 2026 the Council listed a former senior executive of RT France for foreign information manipulation and interference, stating that she had disseminated pro-Russian narratives on Ukraine through French media outlets following the suspension of RT in the EU (Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2164; Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2165); according to the Council, the regime then applied to 81 individuals and 20 entities.

• 2024-10-08: Framework established (Council of the EU).
• 2025-05-20: Framework amended (Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/963).
• 2025-10-03: Council prolongs the measures until 9 October 2026 (Council of the EU).
• 2026-07-13: One individual listed (Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/1707), together with new listings under the cyber sanctions regime (Council of the EU).
• 2026-09-24: Listing of a former senior executive of RT France for foreign information manipulation and interference (Council of the EU).

• cyber_sanctions
• dsa
• disinformation_code
• friendly_relations
• iccpr

• Council Decision (CFSP) 2024/2643 (EUR-Lex), accessed 2026-10-01
• Council Decision (CFSP) 2025/963 (EUR-Lex), accessed 2026-10-01
• Council of the EU, Russian hybrid threats: Council prolongs restrictive measures by another year (3 October 2025), accessed 2026-10-01
• EEAS, Russian hybrid threats: Council prolongs restrictive measures by another year (October 2025), accessed 2026-10-01
• Council of the EU: press release of 13 July 2026, accessed 2026-10-01
• Council of the EU: press release of 24 September 2026, accessed 2026-10-01

• 2026-10-01: Entry created.