The European Union envoys approved on Wednesday 1,646 new designations under the bloc's sanctions regime for Russia, with the majority focused on the country's military industrial complex, three EU diplomats said.
More than half of the newly added entities and individuals are involved in the chain of production of Russia's ballistic missiles, such as the 9M723 Iskander-M, which can only be intercepted by US-made Patriot air defence systems.
Ukraine is facing a severe shortage of Patriot interceptors as the US diverts military resources to the Gulf, while Russia has intensified ballistic missile strikes.
Russian politicians also targated
The designations include a range of entities involved in missile testing and research as well as the production of solid fuels and rocket engines for Russia's Iskander system.
The EU is also targeting producers of specialised textiles and synthetic and carbon fibres used across a range of different missile systems, one of the sources specified.
In addition, the list has drone manufacturers, shipyards that service submarines and 77 Russian politicians who ran for parliamentary seats in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.
The sanctions will be formally adopted when EU foreign ministers meet on Monday.
Putin ties diesel exports to sanctions as global supply tightens
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last week Moscow would not resume diesel exports - currently banned until the end of October - to global markets until sanctions are lifted.
The global diesel market has tightened due to the US-Israel war on Iran, which, combined with the loss of Russian diesel after Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries, triggered shortages in Russia.
The EU, concerned about strengthening links between Russia and North Korea, also added seven North Korean entities and individuals linked to Moscow's war effort.
In July, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Russia struck Ukraine with North Korean missiles for the first time in nearly a year after an apparent stock replenishment.
