European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a new (nineteenth) package of sanctions against Russia, which for the first time includes cryptocurrencies among the restrictive measures.

"For the first time, our sanctions will target cryptocurrency platforms and crypto-asset transactions," von der Leyen declared in Brussels. The goal, she explained, is to curb the financial mechanisms Russia uses to evade the sanctions imposed since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Although she did not reveal which platforms or services would be affected, the official stressed that the EU is stepping up its offensive against the increasingly sophisticated evasion tactics that Russia uses to sustain its war economy.

The new package also includes measures on other fronts, such as a ban on imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG). It also includes the inclusion of more than 100 vessels from the so-called "dark fleet" on the European blacklist. It also punishes Russian and third-country banks linked to alternative payment systems used by Moscow.

Von der Leyen asserted that the sanctions "are severely affecting the Russian economy," citing high interest rates, persistent inflation, and a 90% drop in oil revenues from Europe over the past three years as examples.

The Commission President concluded by reiterating that economic pressure will continue until Russia agrees to negotiate "a just and lasting peace" with Ukraine.

Russia has turned to bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), and stablecoins like tether (USDT) to circumvent sanctions imposed by the United States and other Western countries. Additionally, some Russian oil companies use these cryptocurrencies to convert payments in yuan or rupees to rubles in their oil export operations to China and India.

This mechanism allows Russia to maintain key financial flows without relying on traditional banking systems, which are severely restricted by sanctions. Payments are channeled through intermediaries who convert local currencies into cryptoassets before transferring them to Russia for final conversion into rubles.