Bosnia and Herzegovina has aligned itself with a European Union decision imposing restrictive measures on 826 companies and 743 individuals linked to Russia’s military-industrial complex, the Council of the EU announced on November 3.
Alongside Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine have also joined the decision.
The countries have committed to aligning their national policies with the EU measures, a move welcomed by the European Union.
The decision was originally adopted by the Council of the EU on October 12, 2026, when a total of 1,569 individuals and legal entities were added to the sanctions list.
According to the Council, this represents the largest single expansion of sanctions targeting Russia’s military-industrial complex since the beginning of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sanctions target suppliers of Russian military equipment
The October package includes 826 Russian companies and 743 individuals identified as managing or supporting those businesses.
According to the EU Council, the companies form part of Russia’s military-industrial complex, while the individuals were sanctioned for their support of the sector.
The targeted businesses include suppliers of components used in some of Russia’s most advanced military systems, including missiles, drones and aircraft.
They manufacture or supply electronic components, semiconductors, microchips, communications and radar equipment, navigation systems, explosives and ammunition.
The EU estimates that the companies covered by the package generate annual revenues of at least €20 billion and employ more than 250,000 people.
The sanctions include the freezing of assets belonging to designated individuals and entities, a ban on making funds or economic resources available to them, and travel restrictions preventing sanctioned individuals from entering the European Union.
EU seeks to restrict Russia’s access to military technology
The EU justified the new measures by citing Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine and attacks on civilian infrastructure.
One of the main objectives is to restrict the Russian military industry’s access to suppliers, technologies and components needed to manufacture weapons.
The October 12 decision forms part of the broader European sanctions regime introduced following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 and significantly expanded after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Bosnia and Herzegovina’s alignment with the latest measures is also part of its cooperation with the EU’s Common Foreign and Security Policy.
