EU plans to massively expand sanctions against Russia

According to Foreign Affairs Representative Kaja Kallas, the EU wants to significantly expand sanctions against Russia in the coming months. "In the fall I will present the most far-reaching sanctions list since the beginning of the war," Kallas told the newspaper "Welt." "If it is passed, the number of Russian individuals, companies and organizations sanctioned will immediately increase by a third."

Kallas further stated that pressure must be increased until Russia ends the war. She accused Moscow of "systematic terror": "Moscow's army is not winning on the battlefield and is therefore increasingly directing rockets against Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure. This is systematic terror.” Russia wants to make Ukrainian cities uninhabitable.

At the same time, Kallas expressed the hope that the USA and Europe would “move closer together” again in view of the sanctions. Kallas described the 21 sanctions packages so far since the war began in February 2022 as a success. "To date, Russia has paid dearly for the EU sanctions; they have already cost Russia's war machine over a trillion euros."

Russia has been firing drones and missiles at Ukraine almost daily since the war of aggression began in February 2022. According to the UN Human Rights Mission, the past month was the most serious for civilians in Ukraine since May 2022: a total of 437 people were killed and 2,610 people injured in Russian attacks in July. Ukraine has been responding for several months with air strikes deep into Russia's interior.

Russia reports more than 800 intercepted Ukrainian drones

Last weekend, Russia and Ukraine also attacked each other with drone and missile attacks. At least 19 people are said to have been killed.

The Ukrainian army attacked Moscow with hundreds of drones; Regional Governor Andrei Vorobyov spoke of “one of the most massive drone attacks in recent times.” According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 822 Ukrainian drones were intercepted across the country.

In May, SPIEGEL met Kallas to discuss Europe's role in the Ukraine war. "Russia has reached a dead end in this war," Kallas said.