EU's Kallas announces most far-reaching Russia sanctions package for autumn, targeting one-third more entities

New sanctions package

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told German daily Die Welt on August 17 that the bloc intends to put forward its most far-reaching sanctions package against Russia since the war began. The package, planned for autumn 2026, would immediately raise the total number of sanctioned Russian entities by a third once adopted. The measures will target Russian citizens, companies, and organizations. Kallas did not elaborate on specific timing or details of the new listings, leaving open which individuals or entities would be added.

The EU has approved 21 sanctions packages since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The most recent, approved in July 2026, imposed curbs on Russia's banking sector and cryptocurrency networks. According to the European Commission, current sanctions target nearly 3,000 people and entities. Kallas described the 21 existing packages as a success, noting that they have already forced Russia to pay a high price.

Economic toll on Russia

Kallas stated that EU sanctions have already cost Russia over €1 trillion ($1.16 trillion at a rate of $1 = 0.8646 euros), depriving its war machine of critical resources. The €1 trillion figure represents the cumulative impact of all 21 packages adopted since February 2022. She framed the economic pressure as central to forcing Moscow to end the conflict, and indicated that the upcoming autumn package would deepen that pressure further.

Kallas expressed hope that the United States and Europe would "come closer together" on sanctions policy, indicating that transatlantic alignment remains a priority for Brussels. She did not specify what form closer cooperation might take or whether specific discussions with Washington were underway.

The pressure must keep growing until Moscow ends its war.

Accusations of systematic terror

Kallas accused Moscow of "systematic terror," arguing that Russia's military is failing on the battlefield and has shifted to targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure.

Moscow's army is not winning on the battlefield and is therefore increasingly directing missiles at Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. That is systematic terror. Russia wants to make Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.

Her comments follow a period of escalating civilian casualties. According to the UN human rights mission, July 2026 was the deadliest month for civilians in Ukraine since May 2022, with 437 people killed and 2,610 injured in Russian attacks. On August 16, 12 people were killed as waves of drones and missiles struck civilian infrastructure on both sides of the border.

Frontline stalemate and escalation

With fighting at the front at a near standstill and peace talks frozen, both Ukraine and Russia have stepped up long-range attacks deep behind each other's lines, pushing the civilian death toll to its highest levels since the war's first months in 2022. Russia has been bombarding Ukraine almost daily with drones and missiles since the start of its offensive war in February 2022. Ukraine has responded in recent months with air strikes deep into Russian territory, hitting targets far behind the front lines. The intensified long-range strikes on both sides have compounded the humanitarian toll even as territorial gains remain minimal, and the pattern has continued with diplomatic efforts remaining stalled.