The EU Council imposes sanctions on the organisers of the Russian Duma elections in the occupied Ukrainian territories

Brussels – The European Union stands in solidarity with the occupied territories of Ukraine, not only when they are theatres of war, but also when they are the venues for illegitimate elections. Today (12 October), the EU Council announced
restrictive measures

against 77 individuals involved in the “illegal elections” for the Russian State Duma. These were the elections for the lower house of the Russian Parliament held in September 2026, which also took place in Ukrainian territories temporarily and illegally occupied by Russia. The European Union has unequivocally condemned the organisation of these elections, stating that the initiative “violates Ukrainian and international law, as well as the United Nations Charter,” and undermines “the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine.” 

The list of individuals sanctioned today includes 74 candidates who stood for election on behalf of various parties in the “Donetsk People’s Republic”, the “Luhansk People’s Republic”, the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as the so-called “Republic of Crimea” and the city of Sevastopol. According to a press release issued by the Council, “by taking part in the ‘elections’, these individuals have actively contributed to attempts to legitimise Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to support Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukrainian territories.” 

For the same reasons, the Council has imposed restrictive measures on three members of the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation for their role in organising the “sham elections.” Those blacklisted are subject to an asset freeze within the EU and a ban on entry into or transit through EU territory. Furthermore, European citizens and businesses will not be permitted to make funds or economic resources available to them. In September, the Council had already adopted restrictive measures against ten people for supporting the repression of the democratic opposition and seriously undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia. The incident dates back to 10 August, when the Moscow Supreme Court barred the opposition party Yabloko – which, above all, opposes Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine – from the September parliamentary elections. The ten individuals were linked to this case.