EU Extends Sanctions Against Russia

The EU sanction list is supplemented with companies involved in the construction of the Crimean Bridge. The EU has slapped sanctions on the companies involved in the construction of the Crimean Bridge. The decision was made on July 30, Official Journal of the European Union says. Since July 31 the European Sanction List, in particular, includes the companies owned by businessman Arkady Rotenberg – Stroygazmontazh and Mostotrest (they are already included in the US sanction list). The first company was the general contractor of the Crimean Bridge construction, the second one was its main subsidiary. Sanctions were also slapped on Institute Giprostroymost Saint-Petersburg (designed bridge), the Zaliv Shipyard (received a contract for the construction of railway structures for approaches to the bridge), LLC Stroygazmontazh-bridge (runs the bridge construction project) and VAD (the contractor for the construction of the Tavrida road and a road to the bridge). “As part of the Union’s non-recognition policy of the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol, the Council regards the construction of the Kerch Bridge as a further action undermining the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine”, EU comments the decision  to impose sanctions. The report also says that Brussels considers the construction and opening of the bridge as “key symbolic steps” in consolidating the Russian Federation’s control over the illegally annexed Crimea and Sevastopol and further isolating the peninsula from Ukraine. The new EU sanctions are “subversive policies directed against Crimean residents”, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said (quoted by TASS). The Crimean Bridge information center informed TASS that the inclusion of Stroygazmontazh in the sanction list will not affect implementation of the project in any way. “Our goal is to construct a bridge. The road bridge is already opened, it is used by people. Now we are constructing a railroad overpass. We’re all proud of our work and if someone doesn’t like it that’s not our problem”, the spokesman of Rotenberg quoted him as saying. On May 15, President Vladimir Putin opened the bridge. The head of the state, sitting behind the wheel of a Kamaz truck, drove 19 kilometers. Rotenberg also took part in the opening ceremony. After the bridge opening TASS with reference to the source informed that several new persons “responsible for undermining the territorial integrity of Ukraine” would be added to the EU sanctions list. The agency’s source did not give the names of persons to be under the sanctions. The Crimean Bridge is one of the largest in Russia with the length of 19 km. The road section of the bridge costs 227.9 billion rubles. It was built and put into operation in two years, six months ahead of schedule. Now only cars and buses are permitted to cross the bridge. In autumn this year, the bridge will be opened for trucks. The speed limit on the bridge is 90 km / h. In 2019, trains will start traveling over the Crimean Bridge.