On Monday, the Council of the European Union decided to extend restrictive measures aimed at those responsible for undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. The sanctions will be effective for another six months, until 15 September, 2023.

"Sanctions will be extended against 1,473 individuals and 205 legal entities, most of whom have been subject to restrictions in response to Russia's ongoing unjustified and unprovoked military aggression against Ukraine," the EU Council announced.

The restrictive measures include travel restrictions for individuals, asset freezes, and a ban on providing funds or other economic resources to individuals and legal entities that are blacklisted by the European Union.  

The Council of the EU reiterates that after 24 February 2022, in response to Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the EU significantly expanded sanctions against the Russian Federation "with the aim of significantly weakening the Russian economic base, depriving it of critical technologies and markets, as well as significantly limiting its ability to wage war ".

"Russia must immediately end its brutal war. The European Union will support Ukraine as long as necessary and remains unwavering in its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine," the statement reads.

In February, it was unofficially reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán threatened to veto the extension of sanctions, as he demanded that four people be removed from the list.

Sanctions against the mother of Yevgeny Prigozhin, the founder of Wagner Group, will remain in force even after the decision of the EU Court, as it applies only to the decision of the Council of the EU when they were first applied.