EU agrees 'unprecedented' round of sanctions targeting Russia's oil exports
The European Union reached an agreement on an 18th sanctions package against Russia over its war in Ukraine, with a raft of measures aimed at dealing further blows to Russia's oil and energy industry. The 18th round of economic punishment against Russia since its 2022 invasion was approved after Slovakia dropped a weeks-long block following talks with Brussels over separate plans to phase out Russian gas imports.
Germany – Five years in prison for embargo violations with luxury cars
On July 8, 2025, the Marburg Regional Court sentenced a 56-year-old man from Lohra to five years in prison for smuggling a total of 71 luxury vehicles into Russia. On September 5, 2023, forces from the Essen customs investigation office therefore searched the accused's residential and business premises in Lohra. In addition to extensive documents relevant to the sale, three high-priced cars and almost 130,000 euros in cash were seized in the execution of an asset seizure. After months of meticulous evaluation of the extensive electronic and written evidence by the Essen customs investigation, the Frankfurt am Main public prosecutor's office was able to charge 71 acts.
Netherlands – two sanctions judgments: individual given 3 years prison sentence and confiscation of €1m in unlawful profits
The individual was convicted for providing technical assistance to a person in Russia or for use in Russia of different computer files containing information on the manufacture of microchips. The files were shares by Google Drive and Telegram between January 2023 and August 2024. The defendant was acquitted of charges of physically taking similar files to Russia on USB sticks. The unnamed corporate defendant had been provided goods and services in relation to the construction of the Kirch Bridge, and had been convicted on 28 November 2024, with a fine of €120,000 imposed. The court calculated that the gross revenue obtained in breach of sanctions was €2,711,085, but allowed certain costs including internal time incurred and the cost of insurance resulting in a final confiscation of €1,013,956. The effect of this is that revenue of nearly €1.7m obtained in breach of the EU’s sanctions was retained by the convicted company.
UK Issues General License in Relation to Business Enterprise Software Under Russia Sanctions
On 21 July 2025, the UK government issued the General Trade Licence: Russia Sanctions – Sectoral Software and Technology under Regulation 65 of the Russia Regulations 2019. The Sectoral Software Licence came into force on 21 July 2025 and will expire on 20 October 2025. Link