The European Union has begun developing a new, already the 21st, package of economic sanctions against Russia. The trigger was the overnight crash of a Russian attack drone in the Romanian city of Galați.
The incident occurred overnight into Friday. Drone debris fell in a residential area of Galați, causing no significant damage and no casualties among civilians. Nevertheless, the very fact that a Russian drone landed on the territory of a NATO country has caused serious concern in Brussels.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reacted sharply to the incident:
“Moscow has once again crossed a red line. An attack on the territory of an EU and NATO member state is not an accident, but a direct consequence of Russian aggression. We cannot remain passive. The European Union is preparing a 21st package of tough economic sanctions and is launching urgent measures to strengthen security along the Union’s entire eastern border.”
According to sources in the European Commission, the new sanctions package will primarily target remaining channels used to circumvent previous restrictions, including third countries that continue to assist Russia in bypassing the sanctions regime. An expansion of the list of banned dual-use technologies is also expected, along with further restrictions in the energy and financial sectors.
At the same time as announcing the sanctions, the EU declared the start of emergency measures to reinforce air defense and ground defenses on its eastern flank—in Romania, Poland, the Baltic states, and Finland. An emergency meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council is expected in the coming days.