Ukraine hits Russia's drone and missile factories with tough new sanctions on rare metals

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy enacted the National Security and Defense Council's decision from July 27, 2025, on economic sanctions.

The sanctions list includes 45 individuals. The full list is provided on the link.

Sanctions Commissioner Vladyslav Vlasiuk said the new restrictions target the extraction, processing, and supply of rare earth and rare metals. These include neodymium, dysprosium, cerium, terbium, gadolinium, yttrium, indium, and tantalum. These resources are critical for producing electronics, guidance systems, engines, and drones.

"We are working to ensure that international partners adopt similar sanctions. Restricting supplies in these sectors will directly reduce Russia's capacity on the battlefield," Vlasiuk said.

The full list of sanctioned companies is available following the link.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented on the new anti-Russian sanctions.

"Maximum sanctions pressure is the most effective argument for Russia to end this war. They are feeling the impact of the sanctions — not only at the level of the Russian federal budget, but also in the lives of Russian regions and in sectors of their economy," he said.

Sanctions against Russia

Recently, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy instructed Ukraine's Foreign Minister, Andrii Sybiha, to synchronize EU sanctions against Russia with those of Ukraine. This move followed Brussels' adoption of its 18th sanctions package against Moscow.

Today, on February 27, Zelenskyy signed a decree to align Ukraine's sanctions accordingly.

Ukraine has identified eight individuals and 45 legal entities for synchronization. These include companies from Russia, China, the UAE, Iran, and other countries. The list encompasses entities associated with the shadow fleet, dual-use goods supply chains that circumvent sanctions, and Russia's defense industry.