The European Union has imposed sanctions on 77 individuals involved in Russia’s September 2026 State Duma elections in Ukrainian territories under Russian occupation, condemning the polls as illegal and a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The Council of the European Union announced the restrictive measures today, Monday, October 12, targeting individuals who participated in or organised what the bloc described as “so-called” elections in the temporarily occupied territories.
The EU asserted that the organisation of the elections breached Ukrainian and international law, including the United Nations Charter, and undermined Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. “The European Union has unequivocally condemned the organisation of these so-called ‘elections’ in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” the Council said in its statement.
The sanctions target individuals involved in the polls held in September across areas Russia has occupied, including parts of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions, as well as Crimea and the city of Sevastopol.
According to the Council, the measures form part of the EU’s continued efforts to oppose Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory and maintain pressure on Moscow over its war against Ukraine.
Candidates And Election Officials Targeted
Of the 77 individuals sanctioned, 74 were candidates who stood for election to the Russian State Duma, the country’s lower house of parliament. They represented various political parties in the so-called Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic, as well as in the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions and the so-called Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.
The Council said their participation in the elections contributed to Russia’s efforts to legitimise its war against Ukraine and sustain its occupation of Ukrainian territories. “By running in the Russian State Duma ‘elections’ these individuals have actively contributed to efforts to legitimise Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and to sustaining Russia’s illegal occupation of territories of Ukraine,” the Council stated.
The remaining three individuals are members of Russia’s Central Election Commission. They were sanctioned for their role in organising what the EU described as sham elections.
All 77 individuals are subject to travel restrictions preventing them from entering or transiting through EU territory. Their assets within the scope of the sanctions are frozen, while EU citizens and companies are prohibited from making funds, financial assets or economic resources available to them.
The measures are intended to restrict the sanctioned individuals’ access to European territory and financial resources.
The Council’s announcement follows an earlier decision in September to impose restrictive measures on 10 individuals accused by the EU of supporting the repression of democratic opposition and seriously undermining democracy and the rule of law in Russia.
The legal acts implementing the latest sanctions have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
EU Reaffirms Support For Ukraine’s Sovereignty
The latest measures emphasizes the EU’s longstanding position that Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders must be respected and that Russia’s occupation of Ukrainian territory cannot be legitimised through elections organised under its control.
In conclusions adopted on June 18 and 19, 2026, the European Council reaffirmed its “firm and unwavering support” for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders.
The bloc also pledged to continue providing Ukraine with political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support in coordination with like-minded partners and allies. It further expressed its readiness to increase pressure on Russia through additional restrictive measures.
On September 21, the EU issued a statement condemning the Russian State Duma elections held from September 18 to 20 in occupied Ukrainian territories. The statement reiterated that the bloc would not recognise either the organisation of the polls in those areas or their results.
The EU said the elections constituted another violation of international law, including the UN Charter, and called on Russia to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and internationally recognised borders.
The latest sanctions extend that position by imposing direct consequences on candidates and election officials involved in the polls.
The move comes as the EU continues to use economic and diplomatic restrictions to challenge Russia’s actions in Ukraine. By targeting individuals involved in the elections, the bloc is seeking to prevent the polls from being treated as legitimate exercises of political representation in territories it considers part of Ukraine.
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