Yesterday July 30, the Council added six entities involved in the construction of the Kerch Bridge connecting the illegally annexed Crimea to Russia to sanctions list as they are «participating to undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine». The measures consist of an asset freeze, meaning that all of the assets in the EU belonging to these entities are frozen and EU persons and entities cannot make any funds available to them. This decision brings the total number of entities listed by the EU to 44. In addition, the EU imposed a travel ban and an asset freeze on 155 individuals under this sanctions regime. Other EU measures in place in response to the Ukraine crisis include economic sanctions targeting specific sectors of the Russian economy, currently in place until 31 January 2019 and restrictive measures in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, limited to the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, currently in place until 23 June 2019.
The entities concerned are AO “Institute Giprostroymost (design of the Bridge), PJSC Mostotrest (maintenance of the bridge), JSC Zaliv Shipyard (construction of new railway to the Kerch Bridge), Stroygazmontazh Corporation – SGM Group (construction of the bridge), Stroygazmontazh Most OOO, a subsidiary of lead contractor Stroygazmontazh that manages the construction project of the bridge over the Kerch Strait, and CJSC VAD, the main contractor for the construction of the Tavrida Highway in Crimea, the road over the Kerch Bridge and the access roads to it. CJSC VAD is also providing transportation access to Crimea through a system of newly constructed roadways that serve as a primary connection to the Kerch Bridge.
Photo: Stroygazmontazh