EU lists 77 individuals over Russian elections in occupied Ukraine
The European Union has imposed sanctions on 77 individuals involved in Russia's September 2026 parliamentary elections in occupied Ukrainian territories, targeting candidates and election officials accused of legitimizing Moscow's occupation.
LUXEMBOURG, October 12, 2026 — The Council of the European Union has added 77 individuals to its sanctions list for participating in or facilitating Russian State Duma elections held in September 2026 across occupied Ukrainian territories.
The designations, published under Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2292, target individuals involved in elections conducted in Russian-occupied areas of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, as well as Crimea and Sevastopol.
The EU said the elections violated Ukrainian and international law and undermined Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. It accused those involved of contributing to efforts to legitimize Russia's war against Ukraine and sustain its occupation of Ukrainian territory.
The newly sanctioned individuals include political candidates, members of Russia's Central Election Commission and officials associated with Russian-installed administrations. They represent several Russian political parties, including United Russia, the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Just Russia, New People and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.
Among those designated is Serhiy Arbuzov, Ukraine's former acting prime minister and former head of the National Bank of Ukraine, who participated as a Just Russia candidate. Other notable additions include Irina Kuksenkova, a Channel One journalist and war correspondent who stood for United Russia, and Oksana Vyunik, identified as the Russian-installed first deputy governor of Zaporizhzhia.
The measures also target Russian Central Election Commission members Alyona Bulgakova, Anatoly Sysoev and Vasilina Kuliyeva, whom the EU holds responsible for contributing to the organization of the elections in occupied Ukrainian territories.
The listings fall under Regulation (EU) No. 269/2014, the EU's framework for individual sanctions concerning actions undermining Ukraine's territorial integrity. Designated individuals are subject to asset freezes and prohibitions on EU persons and entities making funds or economic resources available to them. They are also subject to travel restrictions under the corresponding EU sanctions regime.
The regulation entered into force on Oct. 12, 2026, upon publication in the Official Journal of the European Union, and is directly applicable across all EU member states.
The latest designations follow the European Council's June 2026 commitment to intensify pressure on Russia and reaffirm the bloc's refusal to recognize Russian elections conducted in occupied Ukrainian territories.
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