The Council of the European Union on October 12 adopted restrictive measures against three individuals and four entities. The grounds were support for North Korea's weapons programs and cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang circumventing United Nations restrictions. The EU Council published the corresponding statement, according to infohub.kz.

The new sanctions target the sending of North Korean workers to Russia, the implementation of joint commercial and industrial projects, and trade under the "weapons for oil" scheme. The EU is convinced that such actions violate UN Security Council resolutions that Russia itself voted for in the past.

The sanctions list includes Ri Song Jin, a researcher at North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration who also works at the country's General Rocket Administration. According to the EU Council, he was sent to Russia as a technical specialist to support the use of North Korean missiles.

The restrictions also hit Russian developer Samolet Group and its CEO Anna Akinshina. The EU claims the company employed workers from North Korea on construction projects in Vladivostok, violating UN sanctions.

Restrictions were also imposed on Vladimir Sokolov, founder and president of the Black Horse holding. The EU Council links him to the development of commercial and industrial projects involving North Korea, including a joint investment project in Primorsky Krai.

The list also includes Black Horse's subsidiary Golden Autumn Agroholding, as well as the shipping company Paekyangsan Shipping Co Ltd. According to the EU, its vessel Paek Yang San 1 under the North Korean flag transported petroleum products from Russia to North Korea in violation of a UN Security Council resolution.

The sanctions provide for freezing the assets of those listed and banning the direct or indirect provision of funds and economic resources to them. Individuals are also banned from entering the European Union.

Following the decision, the EU's own sanctions list on North Korea now includes 80 individuals and 25 entities.