The EU Strikes A Blow Against Russia's Military "Power"

• 28.07.2026, 8:48

The "Garpia" drones and a Starlink equivalent have been subject to sanctions.

The latest package of EU sanctions against Russia targets 56 military-industrial entities and individuals, specifically those involved in long-range drones and communications networks. According to experts, such measures could bolster not only Ukraine’s military efforts but also Europe’s future security. This is reported by Euronews.

It is known that in 21st package of sanctions against Russia, dozens of defense companies and individuals supporting the Kremlin’s military machine have been subject to restrictions.

“The list includes more than 50 military-industrial entities, as well as key players involved in the production of Russian long-range drones. Russia will agree to negotiate an end to its illegal war and the killing of civilians only if pressure is applied on it. Sanctions intensify this pressure,” said EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas.

As journalists note, thanks to this sanctions package, the EU continues to target suppliers of dual-use goods and technologies in third countries, such as China and India. These technologies are primarily used in Russian weapons, particularly in missiles, drones, and tanks.

“However, the attention of EU officials and experts is focused on two relatively new measures in the military component of the package. This includes more than 30 entities covering the entire production and supply network for the “Garpia” long-range drones, as well as the Russian counterpart to the “Starlink” satellite system, known as “Rassvet,” the article adds.

It is noted that the 21st sanctions package is specifically aimed at the production of long-range UAVs. However, as a high-ranking EU official emphasized, the European Union has taken a “different approach” to this.

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“We have focused on a single category of long-range drones—the ‘Harpy’—and have effectively identified the entire network of their production and supply. Today, in a single strike, we are targeting this network by adding more than 30 sites to the list,” the official said.

At the same time, a senior researcher at the Bruegel think tank Jakob Funk Kirkegaard told Euronews that he approves of the military aspect of the latest sanctions package but does not predict its effectiveness.

“Russia has many types of long-range drones. That doesn’t mean these measures are misguided. They’re worth the effort. But we simply shouldn’t pretend that taking down one of the many long-range drones that Russia possesses or manufactures will significantly alter the strategic threat facing Ukraine today—or, for that matter, the rest of Europe in the long term,” he explained.

In addition, the sanctions package also targets Russian companies involved in the integration of military technology, electronics, and communications, and a high-ranking EU official hinted that a specific company and satellite system have come under scrutiny.

“One of the issues I consider particularly important relates to the production of a system that Russia is developing as an alternative to Starlink, so the Russian Starlink project is also included in this package,” he added.

It is known that the “Rassvet” low-Earth orbit satellite system, manufactured by the Russian aerospace company “Bureau 1440,” is referred to in the Russian media as an “alternative to Starlink” and is intended to provide Russians with high-speed Internet access.

Kierkegaard emphasized that when Russia previously lost access to “Starlink”—for example, in February 2026—it had a “very significant impact on its combat performance.”

“Preventing Russia from… eventually creating an alternative to ‘Starlink’ will obviously become a very important priority,” he said, explaining that the EU’s decision to support the “Dawn” project could weaken Russia’s combat capabilities in Ukraine and also limit its long-term ability to pose a military threat to the EU in the future.

Kierkegaard added: “As the EU—or Europe more broadly—prepares for a world in which we will have to contain Russia on our own for an extended period, depriving Russia of its military capabilities over the next three, four, or ten years is very important for our own security.”

According to him, targeting “Harpy” drones and “Rassvet” satellites is effective.

“However, what best strengthens Ukraine on the battlefield is government funding for Ukraine’s programs to develop long-range drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles—programs typically supported by the Netherlands, Germany, and the countries of Northern Europe,” Euronews concluded.