The key sanctions imposed so far in 2025 in response to Russia’s military activity in Ukraine, including the EU's 19th round of restrictions and new US measures on Rosneft and Lukoil.
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On 23 October 2025, the EU adopted its 19th sanctions package against Russia, introducing fresh restrictions on Russia’s shadow fleet, banks, and crypto exchanges, along with a ban on Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports into Europe starting in January 2027.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for Putin to finance his war. Every euro we deny Russia is one it cannot spend on war. The 19th package will not be the last,” said Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas.
The EU’s announcement came hours after the US issued its own measures against Russia’s two largest oil companies – Rosneft and Lukoil – citing “Russia’s lack of serious commitment to a peace process to end the war in Ukraine.”
The sanctions mark the first time US President Trump has imposed direct restrictions on Russia since returning to the White House in January 2025.
With ceasefire talks between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin making little progress, relations between the two leaders appear to be fraying. Speaking to reporters on 21 October 2025, Trump said: “Every time I speak with Vladimir, I have good conversations, and then they don’t go anywhere. They just don’t go anywhere.”
Trump also reportedly cancelled a recent summit with Putin in Budapest, over alleged frustration concerning the stalled peace negotiations
Since Russia invaded Ukraine more than three years ago Australia, Canada, the EU, France, Japan, Switzerland, the UK and US have issued more than 21,500 sanctions against Russian individuals and entities.
With calls for a truce growing, G7 allies continue to put pressure on Russia’s war chest by imposing financial and trade restrictions.
To help companies stay up-to-date and ensure they are compliant, this article outlines the crucial sanctions imposed against Russia by key jurisdictions so far in 2025, along with countersanctions, and an analysis of the most recent updates. Click here to see the full 2024 timeline.
The situation in Ukraine changes often, so we recommend consulting Lexology PRO’s automated regulatory monitoring tool, Scanner, as well as government and media outlets for the most up-to-date information.
Analysis
Clamping down on foreign facilitators
Western allies continue to crack down on entities in third-party countries seen as facilitating Russian sanctions evasion. The EU’s latest sanctions package, adopted on 23 October 2025, targets third-country operators supporting Russia’s war chest, including two Chinese refineries and an oil trader, which are frequent buyers of Russian crude oil. Additionally, it identifies 45 new entities directly supporting Russia’s war effort and places them under tighter dual-use goods export restrictions. Of these, 17 are based in third-party countries, including China, Hong Kong, India, and Thailand.
In August 2025, the UK and US issued coordinated sanctions against cryptocurrency networks and financial systems in Kyrgyzstan. One crypto exchange sanctioned by both the UK and US, Garantex Europe, directly facilitated ransomware actors and other cybercriminals by processing over US$100 million in illicit transactions since 2019, according to the US Treasury Department.
Earlier this year, Canada and the UK sanctioned individuals and entities from Belarus’ defence sector for their involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Meanwhile, the EU imposed sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes on Chinese actors supplying drone and electronic components supporting Russia’s military activity in Ukraine back in December 2024.
String of EU sanctions grows
The EU’s slew of sanctions against Russia continues to grow as the bloc ramps up the pressure on key components of the country’s economy. The 19th package bans port access for 117 additional vessels linked to Russia’s shadow fleet, bringing the total to 557.
The 18th package announced on 18 July 2025 built upon the previous 17 issuances. It included measures targeting 105 new shadow fleet ships and their enablers, and sought to limit Russian banks’ access to funding.
Earlier this year, the EU adopted its 17th package of sanctions against Russia. The measures included the largest ever package targeting Putin’s shadow fleet and added 31 entities to be subject to tighter export restrictions concerning dual use goods and technologies.
Prior to that, the EU announced another sanctions round on 24 February 2025, in which the bloc agreed a ban on Russian aluminium, which will take effect on 26 February 2026.
Doubling down on the energy sector
The EU’s 19th sanctions package bans imports of Russian LNG, starting in January 2027 for long-term contracts and within six months for short-term contracts. It also tightens existing controls on Rosneft and Gazprom Neft – two of Russia’s major state-owned oil producers.
In September 2025, Canada tightened the screws on Russian energy by lowering its price cap on Russian crude oil from US$60 to US$47.60 per barrel in a push to reduce Russia’s energy revenues. In July 2025 G7 members agreed to lower the oil price cap – first agreed back in 2022 – from US$60 to US$47.6 per barrel. The price will be automatically adjusted every six months, with the possibility of additional changes if market fluctuations require.
Despite existing sanctions targeting the sector, proceeds from Russian oil and gas sales jumped by more than 26% to US$108.22 billion in 2024. Revenue from Russian crude oil exports also grew by 6% in 2024, notwithstanding bans from countries including the UK and EU Member States.
Whilst the UK and other G7 members have supported the price cap reduction, the US has not. However, earlier this year Trump used his global trade strategy to penalise India for continuing to purchase Russian oil, despite sanctions. The US president doubled tariffs on India to 50%, with the new rate taking effect on 27 August 2025.
Both the US and UK started 2025 by sanctioning two of Russia’s largest oil producers, Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegas. The two companies “produce over one million barrels of oil per day between them – worth roughly US$23 billion a year at current prices,” according to the UK government. According to the UK government, the profits from these two companies have been used to finance the war in Ukraine.