European Union
Russia
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2257 of the 8th of October 2026 implements Regulation (EU) 2024/2642 on restrictive measures adopted in response to Russia’s destabilising actions and activities, specifically by updating or imposing specific sanctions (such as the freezing of assets and a ban on making funds or economic resources available to those designated) targeting the persons and entities responsible for such alleged hybrid or destabilising actions within the European Union.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2258 of 8th of October 2026 extends until the 9th of October 2027 the restrictive measures adopted in response to Russia’s destabilising activities —in response to the increase in hybrid threats highlighted by the European Parliament— and updates the annexes to the regulation to amend the entries for eight natural persons and formally remove Olga Alekseevna Belyavtseva from the sanctions list.
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2263 of the 8th of October 2026 amends the regime of restrictive measures established by Regulation (EU) No 269/2014 to sanction actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, formally adding the Russian businesswoman Olga Alekseevna Belyavtseva to the list of persons subject to the freezing of assets and the prohibition on making funds available to them, due to her alleged ownership of key companies in strategic sectors that provide a substantial source of revenue to the Russian Government.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2264 of the 8th of October 2026 amends Decision 2014/145/CFSP concerning restrictive measures in response to actions supposedly undermining or threatening the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, in order to formally include the Russian businesswoman Olga Alekseevna Belyavtseva on the list of persons subject to sanctions, due to her ownership of major companies in strategic sectors that provide a substantial source of revenue to the Government of the Russian Federation.
This massive expansion of sanctions adopted by the Council of the European Union includes a total of 826 entities and 743 individuals directly linked to the arms sector and the defence industrial base of the Russian Federation. This unprecedented measure is a response from the EU, to the intensification of the Russian military campaign and the repeated deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure, seeking to impose a financial stranglehold and limit the operational capacity of the supply chains fuelling the war effort in Ukraine.
The individuals sanctioned under this regulation include the chief executives, directors and senior managers of arms manufacturers, shipyards, technological research centres, and factories producing electronic and mechanical components. The inclusion of these entities is based on their official recognition by the Russian Government itself as strategic pillars of its military-industrial complex, which directly entitles them to receive substantial federal subsidies and state aid for their workers’ housing.
The regulation formally adds seventy-seven individuals to the sanctions list in response to the Russian Federation’s organisation and holding of illegal elections to the State Duma in September 2026 in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine (such as the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Luhansk, the regions of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson, and the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol).
The individuals included in this expansion are candidates from various Russian political parties (such as United Russia, the Communist Party, A Just Russia, New People and the Liberal Democratic Party), as well as officials from the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation and authorities from the occupation administrations. By standing for election or managing these electoral processes in occupied Ukrainian territory, those subject to sanctions have actively contributed to the Kremlin’s efforts to legitimise its war of aggression and undermine Ukraine’s constitutional order and internationally recognised borders.
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2279, adopted on the 12th of October 2026, amends Decision 2014/145/CFSP to significantly expand the restrictive measures in response to Russia’s ongoing military aggression against Ukraine, as condemned by the EU, which includes a deliberate campaign against civilian infrastructure. Specifically, the regulation adds to an extensive list 743 individuals — mainly executives and senior officials in the arms industry — and 826 entities linked to the military-industrial complex of the Russian Federation.
These entities form part of Russia’s defence industrial base and have been officially identified by the Government of the Russian Federation as recipients of state subsidies and federal aid for the accommodation of their workers, according to the EU.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2291, adopted on the 12th of October 2026, amends Decision 2014/145/CFSP with a view to extending the restrictive measures targeting actions that undermine or threaten the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine, as defined by the EU. The measure formally adds 77 individuals to the sanctions list as a direct response to the organisation and holding by the Russian Federation of illegal State Duma elections, which took place in September 2026 in the territories of Ukraine that the EU considers to be temporarily occupied.
Those sanctioned include candidates from various Russian political parties who stood in those elections in the annexed regions, as well as members of the Central Electoral Commission of the Russian Federation and officials from the local occupation administrations. Through their participation in and management of these electoral processes – which the EU considers illegitimate – these individuals have, in the EU’s view, actively contributed to the Kremlin’s attempts to underpin its military aggression and undermine Ukraine’s constitutional order and internationally recognised borders.
As a result of this review, the main measure of this new regulation consists of the removal of two entries from the list of natural and legal persons, entities, and bodies subject to sanctions in Annex I. The provision stipulates that it shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and shall be directly applicable in all Member States.
Following a reassessment of the relevant circumstances, the decision provides for the removal of two entries from the list of sanctioned natural persons, legal persons, entities, and bodies set forth in Annex I to the aforementioned framework regulation.
Guinea
Regulation (EU) No. 1284/2009 establishes the European Union’s legal framework for sanctions against the situation in Guinea—adopted in 2009 following serious human rights violations and the violent repression of protesters—and imposes measures such as the freezing of financial assets and a ban on entry into the EU for those involved; for its part, the recent Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2318 serves as a periodic update to this regime, removing two individuals from the list following a legal reassessment by the Council and the High Representative, which entails the immediate lifting of the restrictions imposed on them upon its entry into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The decision provides for the extension of the restrictive measures for an additional year, setting their new expiration date as October 27th, 2027. Furthermore, it is agreed to remove two individuals from the list of sanctioned persons set forth in its annex.
Proliferation and use of chemical weapons
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2286 of the 12th of October 2026 amends Decision (CFSP) 2018/1544 to extend until the 30th of October 2031 the general framework of European Union restrictive measures against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons —in view of the continuing threat they pose to international peace and security— and also stipulates that the specific application of these sanctions to the persons and entities already listed in its annex shall be extended until the 30th of October 2027.
Syria
Corrigendum 2026/90857, published on the 13th of October 2026, amends Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/1107 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Syria to clarify a term in the explanatory memorandum to entry 51 of the Annex, specifying that the businessperson in question operates in the ‘oil’ sector rather than the ‘petroleum’ sector.
The Corrigendum to Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2026/1106, published on the 13th of October 2026, amends the regulations on restrictive measures in response to the situation in Syria to correct and clarify the translation in the explanatory memorandum of entry 51 of the Annex, specifying that the businessperson in question operates in the ‘oil’ sector rather than the ‘petroleum’ sector.
Nicaragua
Specifically, the amendment updates the entry for Néstor Moncada Lau, clarifying his role as personal adviser to the President of Nicaragua on national security matters until 2025 and his direct involvement in decision-making and in the implementation of the State’s restrictive policies against demonstrators, members of the opposition and journalists since April 2018.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2272 of the 9th of October 2026 extends until the 15th of October 2027 the restrictive measures set out in Decision (CFSP) 2019/1720 concerning the situation in Nicaragua, and formally updates the explanatory memorandum for the entry relating to the sanctioned individual Néstor Moncada Lau, specifying his role as national security adviser until 2025 and his responsibility for the restrictive policies implemented against opposition figures, protesters and journalists since April 2018.
North Korea
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2278 of the 12th of October 2026 imposes additional restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in response to the alleged continued development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, as well as what the EU regards as growing and illicit military cooperation with Russia (including the supply of arms in exchange for oil, the deployment of troops and the use of North Korean workers in violation of UN resolutions).
Specifically, the regulation adds three individuals — aerospace technology researcher Ri Song Jin and Russian executives Anna Akinshina and Vladimir Sokolov — and four entities (Paekyangsan Shipping Co Ltd, Samolet Group, Black Horse and Golden Autumn Agroholding) to the sanctions lists for facilitating the circumvention of international sanctions and supporting the DPRK’s military and proliferation programmes.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2283 of the 12th of October 2026 amends Decision (CFSP) 2016/849 to tighten the restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) due to the continued development of its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes, as well as its alleged growing and illicit military cooperation with Russia (which includes the deployment of troops, the supply of military equipment and the trade in arms in exchange for oil, in violation of UN Security Council resolutions).
In response to these violations and attempts to circumvent sanctions, the regulation formally adds three individuals — aerospace researcher Ri Song Jin and Russian executives Anna Akinshina and Vladimir Sokolov — and four entities (Paekyangsan Shipping Co Ltd, Samolet Group, Black Horse and Golden Autumn Agroholding) to the sanctions lists for facilitating proliferation activities and, according to the EU, illegally employing North Korean workers.
Libya
Council Regulation (EU) 2026/2259 of the 9th of October 2026 amends Regulation (EU) 2016/44 by removing from its provisions the reference to the European Union’s military operation in the Mediterranean (EUNAVFOR MED IRINI) and its inspection framework, in line with the expiry of the United Nations Security Council authorisation on the arms embargo against Libya on which it was based.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2242 of the 9th of October 2026 amends Decision (CFSP) 2015/1333 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya, by removing from its provisions the references and specific provisions relating to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2292 (2016) of the United Nations Security Council, following the expiry of that authorisation for inspections on the high seas on the 25th of May 2026.
Democratic Republic of Congo
Council Regulation (EU) 2026/2374, adopted on the 26th of October 2026, amends Regulation (EC) No 1183/2005 to bring the European Union’s regulatory framework into line with United Nations Security Council Resolutions 2667 (2022) and 2825 (2026) of the United Nations Security Council, as well as Decision (CFSP) 2026/2372. The new regulation imposes a direct ban on the sale, supply, export or transfer of arms, ammunition and military equipment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), whilst also restricting the provision of technical or financial assistance to non-governmental persons and entities within that territory. Furthermore, it introduces as a new ground for sanctions the deliberate obstruction of the mandate of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
Furthermore, the regulation establishes a detailed framework of exceptions subject to authorisation — primarily aimed at protecting humanitarian personnel, UN staff and peacekeeping missions — and strengthens cooperation and the exchange of information between Member States, the Commission and customs and financial authorities. It also defines and prohibits actions aimed at circumventing sanctions, guarantees respect for professional secrecy between lawyers and clients in legal proceedings, designates the competent European institutions as data controllers, and requires Member States to implement effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanction regimes.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2372, adopted on the 26th of October 2026, amends Decision 2010/788/CFSP in order to incorporate into European Union law the changes mandated by the United Nations Security Council through Resolutions 2667 (2022) and 2825 (2026). Among its main provisions, a new criterion is added for imposing restrictive measures against those persons or entities that seriously and deliberately obstruct the mandate of the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), such as by restricting freedom of movement or preventing its patrols.
Furthermore, the decision specifies the exemptions to the arms embargo and to related technical or financial assistance, permitting such operations only where they are intended for MONUSCO or the African Union Regional Task Force, as well as the temporary transport of personal protective equipment for UN, humanitarian or media personnel, and the supply of non-lethal military equipment for exclusively humanitarian purposes. The regulation enters into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Sudan
Council Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2262 of the 9th of October 2026 amends Regulation (EU) 2023/2147 to update the identifying details and grounds for inclusion on the sanctions list of three key individuals linked to the conflict in Sudan.
Specifically, the amendments concern Lieutenant General Mirghani Idriss Suleiman — Director-General of the military-industrial conglomerate DIS —, Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed — financial adviser and Chief Financial Officer of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — and military commander Abu Aqla Mohamed Ahmed Kaikal. The European Union is maintaining pressure on those actors whom the EU considers to be threatening peace, stability and the political transition in the African country.
The regulation also updates the identifying details and the grounds for inclusion on the sanctions list of three key individuals: Lieutenant General Mirghani Idriss Suleiman (Director-General of the Defence Industries System), Mustafa Ibrahim Abdel Nabi Mohamed (adviser and financial director of the Rapid Support Forces) and military commander Abu Aqla Mohamed Ahmed Kaikal.
Niger
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2277 of the 9th of October 2026 extends until the 24th of October 2027 the restrictive measures set out in Decision (CFSP) 2023/2287 concerning the situation in Niger.
ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaeda
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2287 of the 8th October 2026 amends, for the 362nd amends Council Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 for the 362nd time to update the identifying details and official name of the terrorist organisation Khatiba al-Tawhid Wal-Jihad (KTJ) — associated with ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida — in the annex listing persons and entities subject to the freezing of funds.
This update is adopted in accordance with the decision taken on the 28th of September 2026 by the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee, incorporating its new aliases and alternative spellings to ensure the effectiveness of the restrictive measures throughout the European Union.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/2384 of the 21st of October 2026 amends, for the 363rd Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 881/2002 for the 363rd time in order to keep the restrictive measures targeting persons and entities linked to the terrorist organisations ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida up to date. This revision follows the decision adopted on the 15th of October 2026 by the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee and provides for the freezing of funds and economic resources belonging to the persons included on that list.
Specifically, the regulation updates the identifying information for the natural person Mounir El Motassadeq —reflecting his original Arabic spelling, his previous conviction in Germany for terrorism, his subsequent deportation to Morocco in 2018 and an update to his usual place of residence—as well as that of the group Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also adding the spelling in its original script and updating the reference to its leader as Noor Wali Mehsud. The regulation enters into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union and is directly applicable in all Member States.
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2378, adopted on the 26th of October 2026, amends Decision (CFSP) 2016/1693 with the aim of extending the European Union’s regime of restrictive measures directed against the terrorist organisations ISIL (Daesh) and Al-Qaida, as well as against individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with them.
Following the annual review required by EU legislation, the Council has agreed to extend the validity of these economic and travel sanctions for a further year, replacing the expiry date of the 31st of October 2026 with the 31st of October 2027. This Decision shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Transnistria, Republic of Moldova
Council Decision (CFSP) 2026/2397, adopted on the 26th of October 2026, amends Decision 2010/573/CFSP to extend the restrictive measures directed against the leaders of the separatist region of Transnistria (Transnistria), in the Republic of Moldova. Following a periodic review of the sanctions framework, the European Union agreed to postpone the previous expiry date (31st of October 2026); this regulation enters into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The background to this regulation dates to the territorial conflict that began following the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Transnistria declared itself independent from Moldova with Russia’s military backing, without gaining international recognition. The European Union imposed these sanctions in 2010 — consisting mainly of travel restrictions — in response to the deadlock in the OSCE-led peace negotiations and the alleged discrimination against Moldovan-speaking schools in the region.
United States
The US Treasury Department (OFAC) announced new sanctions under Operation ‘Economic Outcast’, targeting sanctions evasion networks and the automotive and rail sectors of the Iranian economy pursuant to Executive Orders 13902 and 13871. The measure includes an update to the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list, with the addition of multiple individuals, global corporate entities (based in jurisdictions such as China, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey) and transnational criminal organisations, as well as the amendment of details relating to previously sanctioned companies and an update to a frequently asked questions (FAQ 831) guide.
The US Department of the Treasury (OFAC) added three individuals (Saleem Abdallah Saleem Al-Zaq, Faouzi Barika and Amel Oualid) and two charities based in France (Association Baraka and Ensemble C Mieux) to its list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDNs) for their direct links to Hamas, as part of the dismantling of a major terrorist financing network.
As part of this action, OFAC published an Iran-related alert addressed to Foreign Financial Institutions conducting business with Iran, together with an amended Frequently Asked Question (FAQ 156). In addition, numerous individuals and entities were removed from the Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List, primarily comprising persons and companies associated with Iraq and Colombia. Specific amendments were also made to existing entries on the SDN List, including updates to information regarding certain entities and individuals with links to countries such as Hong Kong, Mexico and Iran.
On the 9th of October 2026, OFAC published a General Licence relating to Russia
The United States Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has issued General Licence 135 relating to Russia, entitled ‘Authorisation of transactions relating to the sale, delivery, unloading and import of gas oil (diesel fuel) originating in the Russian Federation’.
The US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has announced a formal settlement with the freight forwarding company Pegasus Worldwide Logistics, which agreed to pay $175,015 to resolve its potential civil liability for alleged violations of sanctions regulations concerning illicit drug trafficking and reporting procedures. Furthermore, OFAC has issued four general licences (numbers 13 to 16) relating to the International Criminal Court and has formally added that judicial institution to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), whilst simultaneously removing an individual from that list in connection with Myanmar.
On the 13th of October 2026, OFAC sanctions against Iran’s Ghost Fleet were published
The US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), has announced new designations and the issuance of general licences relating to Iran and Russia, as part of the economic operation known as ‘Economic Outcast’. These measures are aimed at neutralising the Iranian regime’s ghost fleet network and impose a freeze on the property and interests of numerous individuals and legal entities in jurisdictions such as India, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong.
Furthermore, OFAC’s action includes adding an extensive list of vessels linked to these maritime transport networks to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List (SDN List), whilst general licences are issued and updated to facilitate certain administrative transactions and the settlement of affected commercial operations.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), updated its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List to sanction a broad criminal and business network linked to the Northeast Cartel, which includes four individuals —Gamaliel Garza Elías, Gamaliel Garza García, Pablo Cesar Guajardo Álvarez, and Francisco Javier Inzunza Partida— as well as eleven corporate and commercial entities in Mexico, including the Club La Molienda racetrack and various construction, gas distribution, and logistics companies, with the aim of dismantling their financial and money-laundering operations.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), updated its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) List to officially remove all entries and name variants associated with Jorge Jesús Rodríguez Gómez (identified by Venezuelan ID number 6,823,952), thereby exempting him from the restrictive measures imposed under the sanctions program related to Venezuela.
On October 15th, 2026, OFAC imposed sanctions on Iran and Cuba and updated licenses.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through OFAC, implemented new sanctions targeting financial and charitable networks within the Iranian network, as well as the Cuban state-owned institution Banco Internacional de Comercio, S.A. (BICSA), and issued and amended general licenses and frequently asked questions regarding Russia and Iran.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury, through OFAC, issued General License 60A related to Venezuela to authorize transactions intended for earthquake relief efforts, and updated a Frequently Asked Question (FAQ 1263).
The US Department of the Treasury, through OFAC, added five Chinese entities (associated with investment and technology funds such as Miracle Plus and Shanghai Zhisuan Technology) to its sanctions list under the US Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2022 (PAIPA), freezing their assets, prohibiting financial and investment transactions with US persons, and issuing general licences to authorise the winding up of permitted operations and cyber transactions.
On the 21st of October 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury announced Operation Economic Outcast, aimed at dismantling illicit maritime transport networks associated with Iran. As part of this action, OFAC added several Panamanian individuals — including members of the firm Karnakis & Karnakis —, shipping and service companies such as Roxette Maritime, Amigoz Singapore and Whales Shipping Line, as well as a fleet of vessels flying the flags of Panama and the United Arab Emirates, to the sanctions list (SDN List). To mitigate immediate operational or environmental impacts, General Licences GG and HH were issued to authorise the phased winding down of transactions and safety-related operations with these sanctioned entities and vessels.
At the same time, OFAC approved General Licence 131K under the sanctions regime against Russia to authorise certain contractual and maintenance transactions linked to Lukoil International GmbH, as well as publishing updated guidance and frequently asked questions (FAQs 1224 and 1225). Furthermore, the update included the removal from the SDN list of certain entities previously sanctioned under the North Korea and Belarus regimes, notably Chinese animation companies such as Shanghai Moxing Cultural Media and Shanghai Hongman, their directors, and the Belarusian national Andrei Alekseevich Rybakov.
On the 26th of October 2026, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury amended a number of its Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs 10, 32 to 36, 41, 42, 49, 50 and 53) as part of its periodic review to keep the official regulations up to date. This update clarifies and standardises the operational criteria relating to the blocking and freezing of funds (blocking), the rejection of prohibited transactions (rejecting) and the obligation to submit mandatory reports to OFAC, providing financial institutions and companies with clearer and more up-to-date guidelines for compliance with the sanctions regime and the timely reporting of suspicious assets or transactions.
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Department of the Treasury has announced a settlement agreement for $1,529,685 with Extreme Networks, Inc., a North Carolina-based provider of cloud networking solutions. The penalty stems from the fact that, between September 2018 and March 2022, the company exported networking equipment and related services on nine occasions from the US to the Russian firm JSC Moskovskiy Mashinostroitelniy Zavod Avangard. This entity is a Russian defence manufacturer subject to legal restrictions and majority-owned by JSC Concern Almaz Antey, an organisation specifically designated by the US.
The US Department of the Treasury sanctioned a network of individuals and entities from North Korea and Russia involved in fraud schemes using North Korean IT workers that targeted US companies. The measures include the addition to OFAC’s SDN list of several North Korean and Russian nationals, as well as the Vladivostok-based entity First Financial and Technical Development Centre, due to its links to financial transfers, cryptocurrency addresses and technology development centres that facilitated the illegal financing of the North Korean regime.
As part of sanctions relating to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the US government designated the Rwandan Ministry of Defence (MINADEF) and the Rwandan financial institution Zigama Credit and Savings Society (Zigama CSS). These sanctions were imposed due to their role in directly supporting the operations of the M23 rebel group operating in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, freezing their assets and prohibiting financial transactions with US individuals or institutions.
On the 29th of October 2026, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issued General License FF-1 under the Iranian Transactions and Sanctions Regulations (ITSR), authorising the wind down of transactions involving the International Development Bank for Investment and Finance, also known as Iraq Development Bank, and any entities in which it holds a direct or indirect ownership interest of 50% or more. The authorisation permits transactions ordinarily necessary to wind down such dealings until 12:01 a.m. EST on the 1st of December 2026. Any payments to blocked persons must be made into blocked accounts in accordance with the ITSR. The licence does not authorise transactions involving other persons blocked under the ITSR unless separately authorised. General License FF-1 replaces and supersedes General License FF, issued on the 15th of October 2026.
United Kingdom
Russia
These measures, which entail asset freezes, travel bans and severe maritime and trade restrictions, are aimed at individuals involved in the alleged detention and torture of civilians, occupation authorities, politicians aligned with Moscow and those responsible for the suspected programme of forced deportation of Ukrainian children. Furthermore, the package directly targets the Russian energy sector by sanctioning the company Novatek Gas and Power Asia Pte Ltd and a fleet of vessels engaged in the export of liquefied natural gas (LNG) of Russian origin to third countries.
Specifically, the authorities re-listed the vessels “GALLE ENERGY” and “BEBEK-E” under new identifiers and grounds for sanction, imposing severe maritime and trade restrictions on them for supporting and benefiting the Russian government, which in turn resulted in the technical revocation of their previous registrations. In addition, administrative corrections were made to update the dates of birth and passport details of two previously sanctioned individuals (Marat Arkadyevich Kambolov and Artur Valerevich Orlov).
On the 15th of October, the UK’s sanctions against Russia were updated.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office updated the UK Sanctions List to amend the designation of Russian national Nadia Narimanovna Cherkasova, who remains subject to measures including an asset freeze, a travel ban, sanctions on trust services and disqualification from acting as a director.
On the 29th of October 2026, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated the UK Sanctions List under the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, varying the designation of Azerbaijani national Chingiz ALIYEV (Unique ID: RUS3164). Aliyev remains subject to an asset freeze, travel ban, trust services sanctions and director disqualification sanction. The UK considers him an involved individual due to his role as a director or equivalent at Litasco Middle East DMCC and Litasco SA, entities operating in Russia’s strategically significant energy sector, through which he is suspected of obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Russian government. His designation was originally imposed on the 18th of December 2025, with the latest variation recorded on the 29th of October 2026.
Iran
The notification from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, issued on the 12th of October 2026, updates the UK sanctions list under the Iran regime to include two new individuals: Ruhollah Bazghandi and Shahram Ali Reza Tamarzadeh Jakki.
Both have been subject to asset-freezing measures, a travel ban and a disqualification from acting as directors due to their involvement in hostile activities, including intelligence operations, espionage and the planning or carrying out of attacks against persons and property both in the UK and in other countries.
Iraq
On the 7th of October 2026, the UK Government updated its sanctions list relating to the Iraqi regime to announce the removal of the Swiss entity LOGARCHEO S.A. (also known as LOGARCHEO AG), which, following a UN decision, is no longer subject to the asset freeze and other financial restrictions. The document also takes the opportunity to reiterate the legal obligations in force regarding individuals and entities that remain subject to sanctions, emphasising the requirement to freeze their funds, prohibit access to financial resources and report any relevant information to the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), with the warning that failure to comply with these regulations constitutes a criminal offence.
ISIL and AL-Qaeda
On October 16th, 2026, the United Kingdom updated its sanctions against ISIL and Al-Qaeda.
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office updated the UK Sanctions List to amend the designations under the ISIL and Al-Qaeda regime for three entries (the entity Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, Mounir El Motassadeq, and Noor Wali Mehsud), keeping them subject to measures such as asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes.
On the 27th of October 2026, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated the official UK sanctions list (UK Sanctions List) following a resolution previously adopted by the United Nations. Under the ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaeda (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, three individuals were removed from the consolidated list and are therefore no longer subject to asset-freezing measures, arms embargoes or travel bans within British territory.
The individuals removed from the sanctions list are Bassam Ahmad Al-Hasri and Iyad Nazmi Salih Khalil, identified as former leaders of the Al-Nusra Front in the south and the coastal region of the Syrian Arab Republic respectively, and the Kuwaiti national Shafi Sultan Mohammed Al-Ajmi, previously identified as a fundraiser for the same organisation and who had been pardoned from prison in Kuwait by royal decree at the end of 2023.
The details of three individuals (Emilie Edwige Konig, Oumar Diaby and Peter Cherif) have been amended; they remain subject to an asset freeze, an arms embargo and a travel ban. The updates include changes to their location details, information on recent criminal convictions and their current detention or custody status. The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) therefore reminds the public that it is mandatory to freeze any funds or resources belonging to these individuals immediately, to refrain from making them available to them, and to report any findings, warning that failure to comply with these provisions constitutes a criminal offence.
Sudan
On the 26th of October 2026, the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated the sanctions list under The Sudan (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020, adding 15 individuals. Those sanctioned include senior officers of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), police directors, leaders of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and commanders of affiliated brigades — such as the Al-Baraa bin Malik militia and the Abdullah Jamaa Battalion. The measure immediately imposes an asset freeze, a travel ban and a disqualification from serving as company directors.
The justification for these designations is based on the direct involvement of those sanctioned in violations of international humanitarian law and serious human rights abuses committed during the armed conflict. The alleged acts include campaigns of systematic violence and incitement to ethnic or religious hatred in states such as Gezira, El Fasher and North Darfur; the perpetration of massacres; the systematic use of torture in detention centres; forced displacement; and the perpetration of, or incitement to, sexual and gender-based violence in camps for displaced persons.
United Nations
Iraq
On the 5th of October, LOGARCHEO S.A. was removed from the UN Security Council Sanctions List.
On the 5th of October 2026, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolution 1518 removed the Swiss entity LOGARCHEO S.A. (also known as LOGARCHEO AG) from its sanctions list of individuals and entities. The company, which had originally been included in April 2004, has been officially removed, and this change is now reflected in the consolidated lists and in the press releases section available on the United Nations Security Council’s website.
LOGARCHEO S.A. was originally sanctioned in 2004 for operating as a front company set up to manage and conceal the financial assets of Saddam Hussein’s former Iraqi regime, according to investigations by the US Department of the Treasury.
On October 15th , 2026, entries on the UN ISIL and Al-Qaida Sanctions List were amended.
The UN Security Council Sanctions Committee on ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida updated its sanctions list on October 15th, 2026, to amend the entries for three designations (the individuals Mounir El Motassadeq and Noor Wali Mehsud, and the entity Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan), keeping them subject to the asset freeze, travel ban, and arms embargo.
ISIL and Al-Qaeda
On the 24th of October 2026, the United Nations Security Council Committee established pursuant to Resolutions 1267, 1989 and 2253 approved the removal of three individuals from its consolidated sanctions list targeting ISIL (Daesh), Al-Qaeda and associated entities, following an assessment of the request submitted by the sponsoring State in accordance with Resolution 2734 (2024).
The individuals removed from the list are the Kuwaiti national Shafi Sultan Mohammed Al-Ajmi — a former fundraiser for the Al-Nusra Front who was pardoned in his home country in 2023 — and the leaders Bassam Ahmad Al-Hasri and Iyad Nazmi Salih Khalil, former leaders of that armed organisation in the southern and coastal regions of Syria, respectively; With this decision, the asset freeze, travel ban and arms embargo previously imposed on all of them under Chapter VII of the UN Charter are formally lifted.
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In Madrid, 31 October 2026
International Trade and Sanctions Department
Lupicinio International Law Firm
