The EU has included the Kulevi oil complex in its latest sanctions package against Russia; Zurabishvili has called this a "national disgrace"

The European Union has approved its 21st sanctions package against Russia. For the first time, the restrictions target the oil terminal and refinery complex in Kulevi, Georgia, as well as 14 cryptocurrency platforms, including some registered in Georgia.

The EU had previously considered sanctioning the Kulevi facility while preparing its 20th package. However, the site was removed from the final list after—according to Brussels—Georgian authorities and the terminal operator pledged to rectify the situation. This was conveyed by David O'Sullivan, the EU Special Envoy for Sanctions, in a letter to Maka Bochorishvili, the head of the Georgian Foreign Affairs Committee.

Now, the European Union has revisited the issue. The new package bans transactions with the Kulevi refinery complex, which processes and sells Russian oil. The restrictions will take effect in six months, giving the enterprise a window to avoid sanctions by changing its policies.

Overall, the 21st package targets sectors that the EU assesses as continuing to generate the most revenue for Russia to wage war against Ukraine. The new restrictions affect the energy sector, financial services, and the cryptocurrency industry. Additionally, sanctions have been imposed on more than 50 companies linked to the Russian military-industrial complex, as well as on 218 individuals and entities. This marks one of the most significant expansions of the sanctions regime since the start of the full-scale war.

Salome Zourabichvili, the fifth President of Georgia—who does not recognize the legitimacy of the current government—responded to the EU's decision.

"The European Union's 21st sanctions package reveals a national disgrace: Georgian assets are being used to fuel the Russian war machine." "By allowing the Kremlin to bypass sanctions, those in power are betraying our sovereignty.

Georgia belongs in Europe, and we will never become a back door for Russian aggression," she wrote on her Facebook page.

Последние новости
Fuel Prices Rise as Vegetables Get Cheaper: How Prices Changed Across Russia’s North Caucasus
Economy
Fuel Prices Rise as Vegetables Get Cheaper: How Prices Changed Across Russia’s North Caucasus
24 July 2026

Seasonal declines in vegetable prices continued across Russia’s North Caucasus over the past week, while fuel costs and several food staples recorded further increases.
North Ossetia Limits Gasoline Sales to Visitors Amid Fuel Shortages
Economy
North Ossetia Limits Gasoline Sales to Visitors Amid Fuel Shortages
24 July 2026

Authorities in Russia’s North Ossetia have imposed restrictions on gasoline sales to motorists from outside the republic in an effort to reduce long lines at filling stations, curb fuel resale, and ensure local residents have access to supplies.
Mikhail Gutseriev Once Again Subject to EU Sanctions
Politics
Mikhail Gutseriev Once Again Subject to EU Sanctions
24 July 2026

The European Union has once again placed Mikhail Gutseriev—a Russian billionaire of Ingush descent and founder of the Safmar industrial-financial group—on its sanctions list. These restrictions were introduced as part of the 21st sanctions package adopted in response to Russia's war against Ukraine.
Two Mosques Destroyed After the 1944 Deportation Restored in the Mountains of Ingushetia
Society
Two Mosques Destroyed After the 1944 Deportation Restored in the Mountains of Ingushetia
24 July 2026

The restoration of two 19th-century stone mosques—destroyed following the deportation of the Ingush people in 1944—has been completed at the historic Tsori tower complex in Ingushetia’s Dzheyrakhsky District.